


The Scent of Rain

by awriternamedian



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Alpha, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Attempted Sexual Assault, Bonding over trauma, Breeding, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Minor Violence, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Not Beta Read, Omega Verse, Polyamory, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, Trans Character, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:33:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 34,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25139296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awriternamedian/pseuds/awriternamedian
Summary: An omega college student finds her life turned upside down when the government implements the Preservation and Protection act, a program intended on the surface to protect the endangered designation by pairing them up with three specifically chosen alphas. But with the drop in fertility in betas, she knows what the real purpose is: breeding. Now she must attempt to juggle three alphas while maintaining some semblance of control over her life.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 81
Kudos: 129





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I know original fiction doesn't really get much attention here, but I wanted to start sharing this, and I really wasn't sure where else I could do so chapter by chapter. So I hope you enjoy!

It started slow. A handful of lobbyists. And then it was picked up by the people who cared. Hundreds grew to thousands as the cause spread. Thousands grew to millions. There were arguments in the Senate, Congress, the Supreme Court. But public pressure grew, and finally the dissenters caved. On November third, 1992, a bill was passed to ensure the rights of omegas across the country. The Omega population had slowly been declining, and the people were eager to protect the endangered designation. Anti discrimination laws passed. No more could omegas be fired for what they were, nor could people deny them employment based on this. Mandatory paid leave for heats was instituted, and omegas no longer had to fear losing money over something they couldn't control.

She was in her early teens when the government started offering free health care to omegas. If the Omega was under 18, that healthcare was extended to all immediate family members. She remembered coming home from school to find her mother sobbing on the couch. At first she was terrified. Her mother was an amazingly strong woman, and for something to have caused her to break like this, it had to be incredibly traumatic. And then she realized that they were tears of relief. Even working three jobs she hadn't been able to afford healthcare, and she made just barely too much to get government help. But now she didn't have to worry, for five years they were safe. She remembered breaking down into tears as well. It was the first time in her life that she'd been grateful for her designation.

Scholarships were the next step, as well as new protections. Men who harassed an Omega received a hefty fine. Striking an omega was immediate jail time, the severity of the strike or abuse determining how long it would be. Claiming an omega without their explicit consent was an immediate twenty years. Raping one was a life sentence. The new regulations were harsh, but it made omegas across the country breathe a sigh of relief. For too long they’d been at the mercy of alphas, viewed as little more than property. The ability to move through life without fear was intensely freeing.

And then it happened. It was slow, creeping quietly across the country. Betas began to miscarry, slightly more often than the national average, before shooting up quickly. More betas were losing pregnancies than carrying them to term. Top scientists researched the problem. They encouraged betas everywhere to come to new testing facilities to check their fertility. An alarming ninety percent of beta women were found to be infertile. They expanded their testing to beta men and found the same problem.

That was when attention was turned on the omegas. They were well known to be the most fertile designation, especially when paired with an alpha, had fewer complications with pregnancies, and rarely miscarried unless they had another health problem that got in the way. Looking back, she could see how it had happened. The government had been worming their way into the lives of omegas for years. It was slow, insidious, scary. She didn’t know how she’d never seen the pattern.

New policies were passed almost overnight. Even many of the politicians who had championed for her kind had agreed to them. The omegas would turn themselves over to the government. Each omega would be paired with three alphas. The government would provide housing, an allowance for food, anything the omega might need to be happy. They would be free to continue about their lives. It was framed as protection, keeping omegas safe in this quickly changing country. She saw through their lies though. She knew exactly what it was.

A breeding program.

They maintained that the protection laws would still apply. Omegas would be safe from abuse and forced claiming. Only unclaimed omegas eighteen through thirty five would be part of it. But she knew that was just them trying to save face. They said any alpha was free to apply, but that they would go through a strong vetting process, with thorough background checks. She believed that part. But not because they cared about protection though. They just couldn’t risk omegas being harmed, potentially losing pregnancies.

Omegas had returned to their previous status. Breeding factories that were little more than belongings, things to be owned. She would be well taken care of, but she was no longer a free person, no more in control of her life. She was a pet, a belonging.

Everything was going to change. And she was terrified.


	2. there is a swelling storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't expect this to get any attention at all, being an original fiction on a fanfiction site, and I am just so pleased and excited. So here's chapter one! I hope it lives up to expectations, I've really been enjoying writing this story, so I hope y'all enjoy reading it.

She’d been sitting in the activity room of her dorm when it happened, watching a movie with a couple of other people who lived there. The movie was interrupted by a special broadcast. Every channel, every news station, was talking about the same thing. The new laws. Everyone watched in shock as the news casters talked about all the stipulations. Some people looked fascinated, others horrified. As a group, they all turned to look at her, the only omega in their dorm.

Her face was white, her heart stuttering in her chest. At twenty one, she was more than old enough to be included. Her disbelief at what she was seeing turned to nausea, and she shot straight up off the couch and disappeared into the bathroom on that floor, where she lost the contents of her stomach. Rinsing her mouth out, she escaped up to her dorm room. Her phone was in her hand before she could even comprehend what she was doing. The new laws were all over social media. It was all people could talk about. She researched it, and there was already article after article online about it. The internet was swarmed with information, and she wasn’t sure what was fact and what was speculation.

She flopped back on her bed and closed her eyes, trying to figure out her next move. She wanted to go home, to return to her mom. That was probably her safest bet.  
She pulled her phone back out without sitting up and scrolled through her email. There were three messages from professors, telling her not to worry about her upcoming finals, that they would work it out later. They must have seen the news. She shot off an email to her other two professors, informing them that she had to go home for a while. One messaged her back immediately, telling her not to worry, he’d take care of it. She guessed he’d been waiting for her email.

There was no time to mope, which was the only thing she wanted to do. She had to figure out a plan. The first step was to pack her belongings and return home. She was halfway through packing when her roommate appeared. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she’d been crying. Seeing her packing her stuff, she sobbed and rushed across the room, wrapping her tight in her arms. Normally seeing her friend in tears would set her off as well, but she was still in too much shock to cry.

They finished packing her things, and with one last hug said goodbye, leaving to hop on a bus to return home. It was only an hour ride back, and before she could even put her key in the lock the door was swinging open. For the second time in her life, her mom was in tears. Finally her shock broke and she collapsed into her mom, sobbing and shaking with fear over the future.

She was bundled onto the couch with a thick blanket, a mug of hot cocoa pressed into her hands. Her mom curled up on the couch next to her, and they watched the news in horrified silence, each of them wondering what was next. When she would be stolen from her life.

For a week she moped around the house, her mom trying to be positive, to keep her mind busy. Neighbors and friends kept trying to stop by to check on her, but her mom turned them away, saying that they just want to be alone to process.

At the end of the week there was a polite knock on the front door. They exchanged looks. Nobody they knew knocked like that. Her mom let out a shuddering breath and went to answer it. Two men stood on the other side, each in a smart, well pressed suit.

"Hello ma'am," one of them said with an easy smile. "Is there a Miss Amelia Duran in this residence?"

She stepped into their sight, saying, "That's me. I'm Amelia."

That same easy smile was offered again. "If you would come with me please, we need you to fill out some paperwork and then we have an interview. After that we'll return you home," he said with a tone that should put most people at ease. It didn't. "It should only take a couple hours."

A shudder rolled through her and she nodded, exchanging a look with her mom. "I just need to grab my shoes and a jacket," she said, her voice quiet. The men nodded and she disappeared back into the house, returning a few moments later wearing a simple pair of sneakers and a hoodie.

"If you'd follow me, Miss Duran," one man said, the other gesturing her outside. She paused to hug her mom tight before following them out the door and into a nondescript grey sedan. One held the back door open for her while the other slid into the driver's seat. Once they were settled, they left. She watched her home until she could no longer see it anymore, and her heart broke.

It took fifteen minutes for them to arrive at their destination, an unmarked brick building. The door was held open for her and she was escorted inside, directed to sit in one of the comfortable chairs in what looked like a lobby. She didn't know how long she sat there staring blankly at a wall before a woman appeared through a door at the back of the room.

"Miss Duran?" She asked, approaching her. When she nodded, the woman offered a kind smile. "I'm Tracy Stackett, I'll be your case worker. Please follow me."

She pulled herself up off the chair and stumbled after the woman. Sniffing the air, she realized all three people she'd met so far had been betas. Thinking about it for a moment, it made sense. Sticking a bunch of panicking, confused, and scared omegas in a room with an alpha was a recipe for disaster.

She was led into a small room with a desk and two chairs. The woman gestured towards a chair and she dropped down into it hard.

"So we know this is a very confusing, and maybe even a bit frightening time," the woman started. "But we would like to make the transition as smooth as possible, which is why I'm here. I'll walk you through every step, and I'm available 24/7 to answer any questions you might have." She pushed a business card across the desk with her name and a phone number. Amelia picked it up numbly and slid it into her pocket. "So the first thing we're going to do is have a little interview, and then we have some paperwork for you to fill out. Okay?"

"What kind of interview?" She asked. Her voice sounded detached, like it wasn't her own.

The woman smiled gently. "I'd just like to get to know you a little bit. It will help make the transition easier if I can tailor our next steps to fit you personally, instead of just a cookie cutter process. Does that make sense?" It did, and Amelia nodded. She shuffled through a couple papers on the desk before she found the one she wanted. "Okay, so, it says that you're currently enrolled in 'name' University. Are you enjoying it?"

She didn't want to talk about herself, but there was something genuine about the woman that made it hard to stay stubborn. "Yeah," she said with a sigh. "My professors are all great, and I've made a lot of good friends. I pick up new concepts quickly, and my gpa is always high."

Tracy smiled brightly. "You sound like an excellent student. What's your major?"

Though she knew that information was on the sheet in front of Tracy, she guessed this was a way to keep her talking. "I'm a double major in early childhood education and child psychology."

"That's very impressive!" The woman said sounding like she absolutely meant it. "Are you enjoying your classes?"

Amelia nodded. "They're interesting. Sometimes they get difficult, but it's something I have a passion for, so it's easy to push past that and keep going."

"I'm glad your school career is going well, and that you're enjoying it," the woman said with another friendly smile. "You said you've made a lot of friends. Would you say you're a social person?"

At this she shrugged uncomfortably. "Yes and no," she said hesitantly. "I make friends easily, and people seem to like me, but I struggle in new situations or being around a lot of people. It's a running joke among people that know me that I'm the socially anxious mom friend." The woman laughed, and she couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at her lips. She could see why this woman had been chosen to be a caseworker, she had almost a soothing aura.

"So you're the mom friend," the woman said. "Do you enjoy taking care of people?"

"I do," she replied, shrugging again. "I like when people rely on me, knowing they trust me to be the responsible one. It helps my anxiety too."

"Oh?" Tracy asked. "How so?"

"There are a lot of things I struggle with because of my anxiety," she explained. "I might be unable to do a thing on my own, but the second a friend is unable to do a thing, I gain the ability to do it."

"That's very admirable," she said in return, once again sounding like she absolutely meant it. She turned her attention down to the papers again, shuffling until she found the one she wanted. "Let's talk about your family and home life now. You were raised by your mother?"

Amelia nodded. "It's just been me and her. My dad walked out on us when I was little, and she never felt the need to date again. Always said I was more important than her love life."

"That sounds wonderful," Tracy said. "She must be an amazing mother to have raised somebody as dedicated as you."

Amelia couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. "She really is," she said. "She hasn't been around as much as either of us want because she works a lot, but she took the time to instill a sense of right and wrong, and compassion, and always encouraged all of my hobbies and interests."

"Clearly it worked," she said. "So I think we can stop there for now. I have a clear enough picture that I think I can work out the best way forward for you. I have a questionnaire for you to fill out now. It's a little more in depth than this interview."

"What's the point of the questionnaire?" Amelia asked, her good mood seeping away.

The woman searched through her papers again. "The questionnaire is to help us match you up with the right alphas. Ones that will suit you and are the most compatible. Don't worry, they have to go through even more intense and detailed interviews and questions." That should have made her feel better, but as the reality of the situation set back in, she found that it didn't.

A packet of papers and a pen was slid across the desk to her. "Once you're finished with this, come out into the lobby and we can take you home," she said cheerfully. "Any further questions for now?" When Amelia shook her head, she said, "Excellent. I'll see you soon. Make sure you're as honest as possible, we don't want to accidentally set you up with someone who will make you miserable." The woman left the room, leaving Amelia to glare down at the papers in front of her. Set her up. She made it sound like this was a dating service instead of a forced program.

Not seeing any way out of it, and not wanting to make her life any harder, she flipped through the packet. Her eyes widened slightly at the length. It was ten pages, covering everything from her medical history to her personality and habits. The last two pages made her cheeks flush bright red. They were all about her sexual history and preferences. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore that section for now, focusing on the other parts. It was incredibly in depth, and by the time she finished it, she did feel a little better. If what the woman said was true and the part that the alphas went through was even more in depth and detailed, maybe that had a chance at good matches.

Taking a deep breath, she flipped to the last two pages, which were just as thorough as the rest. Her face was red as she tried to work her way through them. She didn't have a lot of experience, so she had to answer a lot of questions with 'unsure', and she'd never been with an alpha before. By the time she was done, her face was burning and she was no longer feeling optimistic. Wanting to be out of here, she quickly left to find the lobby again, where Tracy was waiting for her.

The woman looked up and smiled as she stepped through the door. She accepted the questionnaire and shook Amelia's hand. "It's been an absolute pleasure meeting you, and I look forward to working together. Again, please feel free to text me any time with any questions you might have, and I will get back to you as soon as possible." All she could do was nod but that seemed to be enough before she was directed back out into the car she'd arrived in. Her mom was waiting outside when they got there, and they held it together until the men drove off.

Her mom dragged her into her arms and they clung together. She didn't have any more tears, though she knew they'd come at some point.

"What happened baby, what did they do?" Her mom asked as they settled on the couch.

"They asked me a bunch of questions about myself," she said. "And I had to fill out a questionnaire. I met my case worker, who's strangely nice, and she explained that they wanted to get to know me so she could set the best plan to go forward, and match me up with the right alphas." Her voice broke at the last word and she shuddered.

They were quiet for a while before her mom said, "That's something at least. Do the alphas have to go through the same process?"

She nodded. "Apparently they have to go through stuff even more thorough. Probably so they can weed out the bad sort." She bit her lip and then shrugged. "I guess that makes me feel a little better. Knowing that they're taking this so seriously."

"Come on," her mom said, distracting her from her thoughts. "Let's get some food and then marathon watch Scrubs." Amelia laughed and agreed. She was thankful her mom was here with her through all of this. After explaining to her bosses what was happening, they'd given her paid leave of absence. It helped that one of her bosses was a mated Omega and the other was a mated alpha, so both were sympathetic to what was going on.

It was a week later that she got the next phone call. It had been a long week and she'd been torn between the desire to hide away and the cabin fever that was creeping up on her. She checked the caller id, and seeing Tracy’s name made her hand shake a little. Taking a deep breath, she answered the phone with what she hoped was a firm hello.

“Hello again Miss Duran,” the woman said cheerfully. “I have a bit of a surprise for you.” A surprise? For her? “Are you free this afternoon?”

“I, uh, yeah, I am,” she managed, a little nervous about what Tracy might consider a surprise.

“Great!” She chirped. “We’ll send somebody to pick you up in about two hours. See you soon!” She hung up before Amelia could respond.

Her mom poked her head out of the kitchen, asking, “Who was that?”

“It was Tracy, my case worker,” she said, perching on the arm of the couch. “She said she has a surprise for me. And that they’ll come pick me up.”

“Because that’s not ominous at all,” her mom muttered, disappearing back into the kitchen and making Amelia smile. Exactly two hours later there was a polite knock on the door. With a steadying breath, she answered it to find the two men from before standing there. They needed no introduction this time, and gestured her towards the car.

The ride this time took nearly half an hour, and they pulled up in front of a large house that seemed to be undergoing renovations. Tracy was waiting outside, a clipboard in her hands. At their arrival, she waved cheerfully. “Hello again Miss Duran. So what I’d like to show you today is your new house. If you’d follow me inside, I have some questions for you.”

Amelia followed after her, in a little bit of shock. Whatever she may have expected to be shown today, this was not it. As she stepped inside, she could see construction workers moving around, putting up drywall and other basic renovations.

“Okay, so,” Tracy started, looking down at her clipboard and leading the way into what looked like an under construction kitchen. “Let’s start with your general style. What kind of things are you drawn to aesthetically?”

“What do you mean?” Amelia asked, blinking owlishly.

“I mean, do you like patterns, do you like a lot of color, do you prefer things more subdued, that kind of thing,” she explained.

It was a bit of a shock getting asked these sorts of questions. “I don’t like a lot of conflicting colors,” she finally said, trying to put her head back on right. “I like more grey scale and then color splashes. And I’m not a fan of most patterns, I like more abstract stuff.”

Tracy made a bunch of notes on her clipboard. “Okay, so let’s start in here,” she said. “I’m thinking dark cupboards, muted black countertops, and then maybe do the walls done up like a sunset. You get that nice contrast, and it’s almost like you’re bringing the sun into the kitchen!”

Amelia spun in a slow circle, taking in the kitchen and imagining the design, before nodding slowly. “Yeah,” she said. “I think that would look nice.”

“Fantastic!” She chirped. “We’ll do a similar style for the dining room I think,” she said, gesturing through a rounded door frame to the connected room. “On to the living room!” Amelia followed after the bouncy woman, struggling to keep up. “So I know white carpet is all the rage right now, but let me tell you, it shows dirt instantly and stains like you wouldn’t believe. So I’m thinking maybe a light grey instead. A couch and two chairs. Do two black, and the second chair maybe a deep red. I think it might be best to keep these walls white, and do some very subtle designs in the same red. Nothing distracting, just enough so that the color contrast is noticeable.”

That actually sounded really good, and she reluctantly told Tracy so. Tracy gestured at the last room on the first floor, saying, “That’s the office. It’ll be mostly reserved for the guys, in case they have to work from home.” That made her bristle in annoyance. So the men had a place to do work. She guessed her college classes weren’t important anymore. The pair went carefully up the steps to the second floor, where there were four rooms.

“So this is the guy’s floor,” she explained. “They each have their own room, that they will be able to furnish to their taste. The fourth room will be a bathroom.” She took her down to the end of the hall, where a door was already set up, the only one on this floor so far. “And this,” she said, “is your room.”

Amelia followed her up the stairs, which twisted around into what must have originally been the attic. It was huge, the size of the whole second floor. “So this will be the actual bedroom area,” Tracy said, gesturing towards part of the room, not seeming to notice the dazed look on Amelia’s face. Just the idea that she had her own room was shocking. Even more so that it was the biggest one in the house. “And then this area will be a walk in closet. Over in that corner will be a full bathroom.” Tracy gave her a mischievous look. “You have your own, the three guys have to share the one downstairs.” This startled an unwilling laugh from Amelia.

“And then this corner is empty space right now. You can set up a little reading nook, or a desk, or even a combination. So you have a secluded, private space to do any classwork you might have without worrying about interruption.” Tears formed in Amelia’s eyes before she could stop them. This was more than she could have ever expected. There was a gentle look on Tracy’s eyes and she smiled, as if she knew what was going through Amelia’s head at the moment. “That’s not even the best part of the room,” she said, her chipper voice replaced by a more soothing tone.

She led the way back down the stairs. She closed the door so that they were facing the bedroom side, and then pointed at the doorknob. Amelia gasped. There was a lock. There were two locks. One the normal kind you see on a knob, the second one a deadbolt. “There are locks?” She whispered, her voice shaking.

Tracy nodded. “This room is your space, and your space alone. You are allowed to retreat here anytime you need. Nobody is allowed up here without your express permission. The only time the guys are allowed up here without your permission is in an emergency or if they think you’ve been injured.” Her hand landed gently on Amelia’s shoulder. “We want you to feel comfortable Miss Duran. This will be your home too, and you deserve to feel safe in it.” Her shoulders shook with the effort put into not crying.

“I, ah,” she started, her voice trembling. “Thank you Tracy. Thank you. This is more than I could have ever imagined.” She squeezed her shoulder before dropping her hand.

“Alright, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time today,” she said, cheerful once again as she led the way back downstairs. “I think I have a pretty strong idea of your taste, and we will create a beautiful home for you.”

“Thank you,” she said again as they stopped at the front door. “And call me Amelia.”

The smile Tracy flashed her was dazzling. “Amelia then. Enjoy the rest of your day, I’ll contact you as soon as the next step is prepared,” she said. “And remember, you can text or call me any time, day or night, with any questions you might have.” Amelia nodded and then left, herded back into the car. She was in a daze when she arrived back home, where her mom was waiting on the other side of the door.

“How did it go?” Her mom asked, concerned. “What was the surprise?” That was when Amelia burst into tears, startling and frightening her mom, who pulled her into a tight hug. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

Through her tears, Amelia managed, “My room has locks. It has locks.” So many of their fears were assuaged by this knowledge. Feeling a little more confident, she finally let friends and neighbors come to visit, taking comfort in their love and kind words without quite so much heartbreak.

She didn’t hear from anybody for another week and a half, but she didn’t feel the need to sequester herself away. Her mom went back to work, though only a couple days a week so she could still be home for her. She texted her college friends, letting them know things were going okay so far.

Then the next phone call. She’d customized the ring for Tracy so she’d know immediately who it was. She was less hesitant this time when she answered with a polite hello.

“I have news!” Tracy said excitedly, tugging a slight smile onto her lips.”We have selected your first alpha!” The smile disappeared and she almost dropped her phone.

“Already?” She asked, voice shaking despite her desire to sound confident.

“He just finished his interviews and background checks,” Tracy said, not seeming to notice the change in her tone. “Our plan is usually to take some time once they’ve been thoroughly vetted so we can make sure we make good matches. But I did his last interview, and the moment it was over I knew he would be absolutely perfect for you. I expedited all of the paperwork and things, I’m that confident about this. The next step is for you to meet and have your first date.” A date. So she wasn’t expected to go into this totally blind. “Are you free any time this week?”

Amelia nodded, saying, “I’m free all week. I don’t have anything going on.”

“Great!” Tracy said. “I will get with him to set a day, and will text you the information! Enjoy the rest of your day!” She hung up without waiting for a goodbye, which seemed to be her usual style. Amelia dropped down onto the couch, rubbing her hand down her face. This was it. It was real. She was about to meet one of the men who, for all intents and purposes, would own her.

She received a text the next day, telling her the date would be Thursday, two days away, at noon, and that she should dress in shoes comfortable to walk in. The next two days dragged on as the minutes ticked by. At 11:55 on Thursday, there was an almost hesitant knock on the front door.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to meet her first alpha. And realized immediately that he was nothing like she expected. He was small for an alpha, maybe five foot ten, with a swimmer’s build and an almost boyish face. His blonde hair was mussed up, like he’d been nervously running his fingers through it. Their eyes met, and his were a green so pale they were almost grey.

“You must be Amelia,” he said. His voice was soft, soothing, a pleasant tenor. “I’m Miles. I’m so excited to meet you.”

“It’s good to meet you too,” she said stiffly, unsure yet if she meant it, and for a moment it looked like his shy smile faltered a bit.

He looked nervous for a moment, not an expression she was used to seeing on an alpha, and then said, “I, uh, I brought you a gift.” It was almost endearing, the way he seemed like he was a boy going on his first date. Before she could ask about the gift, he brought one hand out from behind his back. In it was a bouquet of wildflowers, bright bursts of color.

“You brought me flowers?” She asked, trying desperately to fight the smile that was trying to steal across her face.

“I hope they’re okay,” he said, offering them to her. “I wasn’t sure what kind you would like.”

She accepted the flowers, bending her head to smell them. They had a light, sweet scent, pleasant and soothing. She lost the fight, a tiny smile appearing on her lips. “They’re perfect. I’m not a fan of roses and the typical things you might think of.” The smile he offered her in return was brilliant, and it made something inside of her warm. “I’ll go put these in a vase. You can come in if you want.” He nodded, stepping past her into the small house. She caught his scent as he passed, and part of her nerves eased almost instinctively. He smelled like warm honey, comforting and soothing.

Taking another smell of the flowers to try and clear him from her head, she escaped into the kitchen. It took her a moment to find the vase, but once she finally had them situated, she had to admit to herself how well they brightened the room. She stepped back into the living room to find him looking around curiously, and she took a moment to study him again. He looked boyish and almost cute, not a word she usually applied to his designation, dressed in a pair of jeans, a button up, and a brown bomber jacket.

When his eyes fell back on her he offered another brilliant smile, and despite how hard she wanted to hold onto it, another piece of her tension loosened. “You ready?” He asked.

She nodded, following him out the front door towards his car, a cute little red Soul. “You drive a hamster car?” She asked as he opened the passenger door for her.

“Hey don’t make fun of the Soul. She’s adorable and has a great personality.” He patted the door as she slid into her seat, saying, “It’s okay, she didn’t mean it.” She had to turn her face away to keep from laughing at his antics. He slid into the driver’s seat and pulled carefully away from the curb, tapping something on his phone to pull up gps.

“Where are we going?” She asked curiously.

A mischievous grin crossed his face. “It’s a surprise. But I think you’ll like it. At least I hope you will.” There was a brief moment of uncertainty, and then the smile reappeared. He hummed under his breath, tapping a beat on the steering wheel as he maneuvered through traffic, which she couldn’t help but to find endearing, no matter how much she wanted to hate him.

As they pulled into a parking lot and she finally caught sight of the sign, she asked, “The aquarium?”

“Yep!” He said cheerfully. “It’s one of my favorite places in the world, and I thought you might like it too. I had two other date ideas, but it’s sadly too cold.” He turned towards her, trying to interpret the look on her face. “If you don’t like it, we can go somewhere else.”

There was no stopping it this time. She gave him a grin, saying, “I love it. I haven’t been to the aquarium in like ten years. It was one of my favorite places too.” The nerves and hesitance finally seemed to leave him with her admission, and he was more cheerful as they got out and approached the building. Neither of them had bags, so they were waved through without much fuss.

For a while they wandered around in silence, occasionally pausing to read something or watch an animal. The longer the silence went, the more awkward it got. She was trying to figure out a way to break it as they stopped in front of a small aquarium with crabs.

“Why did the crab never share?” He said suddenly, and she blinked up at him in confusion. With a completely serious expression on his face, he looked down at her and said, “Because they’re shellfish.”

It took a moment for what he’d said to sink in, and then a startled laugh escaped her. “Fish puns?” She said. “Really?”

He grinned and said, “Hey, I can’t help it if I’m punny.” She elbowed his side, laughing again, and the awkwardness was broken.

“That was weak,” she scolded as they wandered towards the next room. “Punny? You couldn’t think of anything better than that?” He pushed her shoulder, laughing, and she elbowed his side again in retaliation. Both of them froze as an employee walked around the corner, not wanting to be caught roughhousing and get thrown out. They hurried away, giggling under their breath like children.

“Where do fish sleep?” She asked as they passed by a large tank with brightly colored fish. The corner of his mouth twitched up, and she finished with, “On the sea bed.” He snorted, covering his mouth with his hand, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

They found their way to the sharks, and she watched them, entranced. She’d always loved sharks, always found them fascinating. He’d been reading something about them while she watched, and then suddenly his scent was surrounding her. She shivered slightly, a natural reaction she couldn’t seem to fight. His hands curled around the bar just outside of hers, almost touching, his chest so close to her back she could feel his warmth radiating against her.

A sharp exhale as he bent, putting his mouth right next to her ear, before saying, “Why do sharks live in salt water? Because pepper water makes them sneeze.” The tensity of the moment broke and she nearly doubled over laughing. “Come on,” he said, “let’s go see the stingrays. I’m pretty sure I’ve got at least one dad joke for them.” His hand found hers, and she let it happen, their fingers tangling together. In between oohing and ahhing all the various types of sea life, they went back and forth, cracking puns and dad jokes. It was the best date she’d ever had, not that she’d had many, and for a while she forgot altogether why this was happening.

They ended up at the gift shop, ducking around and generally making fools of themselves, trying not to get caught by the employees. “Could you wait by the door?” He asked as they calmed down. “I want to get you a surprise.”

She laughed, shaking her head a little as she made her way to the door. Him and his surprises and gifts. It only took a minute or two for him to reappear, and she was instantly aware of his approach. As she turned, something was draped around her shoulders. She looked down to see what looked like a fairly cozy scarf, before realizing what was different about it. One end was designed to be a tail fin, the other end the head of a shark.

Tears pricked her eyes at the thoughtfulness of the gift, and she had to blink them away before smiling up at him. “How’d you know?” She asked.

He shrugged. “I saw the way you watched them any time we were near a shark tank. Like you could sit there for hours and be perfectly content.” Her hand curled into his, the first time she’d made the first move, and they walked slowly out of the aquarium. As they climbed back into his car, he glanced over asking, “Good date?”

She stroked her fuzzy shark scarf before smiling up at him. “Very good date,” she reassured him and was rewarded with another of his brilliant grins.

He walked her up to her house, as if reluctant to leave her just yet, and if she was being honest with herself, she was almost a little sad that the date was ending. His face turned serious, and he said, “Amelia, I’m going to do something very bold now. Are you ready?”

Her breath caught in her throat, and she nodded slightly, both nervous and excited. He cupped her face delicately in both hands, leaning down toward her until she could feel his breath mingling with hers. And then he kissed the tip of her nose. She shoved him, laughing hard enough that her eyes watered. “You’re ridiculous,” she teased. He shrugged, seemingly unfazed by her insult. All she could do was shake her head at him. And she didn’t stop until long after they’d said their goodbyes and he’d pulled away.

The good mood persisted until her mom got home, finding her curled up on the couch, still wrapped up in the scarf that smelled a little like him. She glanced up at her mom’s arrival and paused the show she’d been watching.

“You look like you’re in a good mood,” her mom said, slipping off her shoes. “Date go well?”

Much to her chagrin, a blush rose in her cheeks. “He took me to the aquarium,” she said. “We told a lot of fish related dad jokes. And then he bought me a shark scarf.”

“They were always your favorite animal,” her mom said, settling on the couch next to her. “What’s he like?”

She hesitated for a moment, before saying, “He wasn’t what I expected. I guess I expected somebody bossy and overbearing. But he was really sweet. And shy, and a little nervous. He just kind of put me at ease.” Her smile was shy and awkward. “He brought me flowers too. They’re in the kitchen.”

That was absolutely adorable, and her mom didn’t hesitate to tell her, making the flush in her cheeks grow darker. “Was he cute? Is there any chemistry there do you think?”

Her breath caught for a moment, remembering how she’d felt when he had surrounded her, his lips almost touching her ear. She didn’t want to admit it, but she’d felt something. That part of the question was ignored, in favor of answering the first part with, “He was pretty cute. Very boyish. And he was wearing a bomber jacket.”

“Which is of course the best kind,” her mom said as they curled up together and turned the show back on. She rubbed her face against the scarf again, wishing more of his scent had clung to it. It was the sweetest thing she’d ever smelled, even sweeter than the flowers he’d brought, and even just the memory of it surrounding her was calming.

She woke up the next morning to find herself tangled in the scarf. Part of her still glowed from how well the date had gone. Another part of her was angry. Angry for letting her guard down. For enjoying it. For forgetting what the whole point of these dates was. She rolled over, grouchy now, and checked her phone to find a text from Tracy. A sigh escaped, and she knew without even opening it that it was about the date.

Her guess was correct. ‘how was the date?!?!?’ the text read, and she couldn’t help but to hear it in Tracy’s excitable, bubbly tone.

‘It went well’, she texted back, before pausing and sending another. ‘It went really well. He took me to the aquarium and we had a fun time. He’s good at fish puns.’ She received a bunch of the crying laughing emojis in response.

‘I knew, the moment I met him, I knew you two would match so well.’ There was a short moment, and then another text came through. ‘he texted me right after to tell me how much fun he had. why did you make me wait so long???’ There were a bunch of crying emojis following it, and she couldn’t help but laugh, setting her phone aside, all grouchy feelings gone.

It seemed to have developed into a theme, Tracy would call or message her about something, and then almost exactly a week later she’d get another phone call. It didn’t surprise her when her personalized ringtone went off, and she offered her a slightly more friendly hello.

“I have news!” Tracy said cheerfully.

“For some reason, I had a feeling you were going to say that,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck as Tracy laughed.

“We’ve selected your second alpha,” Tracy said, just as chipper as usual. A cold shiver ran through her. She forced herself to stay calm. The first date had gone well. Maybe the second date wouldn’t be so terrible. “We spent a little more time on this one. Can’t always get lucky immediately like we did before. But no worries, I think you two will fit together perfectly as well. Are you free this week?”

She forced herself to trust Tracy, who despite being part of this awful program, genuinely seemed to have her best interests in mind. Maybe that was the reason she’d decided to take this job, to help make the lives of omegas a little bit easier. “I’m having a couple of friends over Thursday night, but I’m free any other time,” she answered.

“Excellent! I’ll shoot him a message and we’ll set something up! Check back in with you soon!” Tracy hung up without a goodbye again, but she was used to it at this point. Unlike last time, she received a message only half an hour later. Tuesday night, six pm, dress for a nice dinner. She panicked for a moment. That was tomorrow. Maybe this would be a blessing. Give her less time to worry and panic.

She spent the rest of the day digging through her limited wardrobe. She wasn’t sure what had her panicking more, the idea of the date, or trying to pick an outfit for it. Eventually she settled on a flirty black skirt, a maroon sweater, warm leggings to battle the cold, and a pair of low heeled ankle boots. She laid it all out on her dresser and then moped around the house stressing about it.

The first half of Tuesday flew by quickly. Around four she got dressed, and then time began to inch by again. Her mom tried to distract her, having opted to stay home tonight, but nothing worked. At exactly six pm, there was a knock at the door. Amelia swallowed hard before making her way towards it on shaky legs. She took a deep breath to steady herself before opening the door.

The man standing before her was vastly different from Miles and his cute smiles. He had to have been at least 6’2, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His hair was a deep midnight black, matching the well trimmed beard. It was his eyes that held her the most though. So blue and sharp that she felt like they could see through her. This was what she expected of alphas. Strong, confident, intense.

“Amelia I presume,” he said with a charming smile. His voice rolled over her like a wave, and it was all she could do to nod mutely. “I’m Cyrus. It’s a pleasure to meet you. In person. Tracy has been gushing about you for days.”

The mention of Tracy shook some of his hold on her and she shook her head, saying, “Ah, yeah, that sounds like her. She’s very excitable.”

He chuckled, and the sound made her shiver. “That’s one word for it, though I might use something a little stronger.” His eyes darted over her shoulder, and another smile appeared. “You must be her mother. You two look a lot alike.”

“So we’ve been told,” her mom said, appearing behind her. “Though she’s always been more delicate than me. I’m Dawn.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” he said, offering his hand which she shook firmly. He turned his attention back down to Amelia, his smile gentling a bit. “Ready to go?”

She nodded, and he led her towards a sleek black sports car. It suited him she thought, just as well polished and confident. He slid into the driver’s seat once she was settled and turned to give her another gentle smile, like she was some frightened animal that he was trying to coax out. To be honest, maybe an apt description.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” he said, making her cheeks flush a little. She caught his scent for the first time, spicy and sharp, making her head spin.

“Thanks,” she mumbled uncomfortably, sitting on her hands. She tried to shake her nerves, asking, “So what’s the plan?”

“Well, I’m a big fan of playing it old school,” he said, “so I was thinking dinner and a movie. But I’m also a rebel, so I think movie and then dinner.”

The corner of her lips twitched up before she forced it to stop. She wouldn’t give in that easily. “I think that sounds good,” she said stiffly. “What movie were you thinking?”

“I figured I’d give you the choice,” he said, distracted for a moment bringing something up on his phone, before passing it to her. “That’s the list of all of the movies playing tonight. See any that interest you?” She scrolled through the list, finding several that she had a vague interest in, before her eyes landed on one in particular. Spies in Disguise. She’d seen the preview and absolutely wanted to see it. Her mouth opened and then closed. He wouldn’t want to see a silly animated movie like that.

“I, uh, I haven’t really been paying much attention to movies lately,” she lied, handing him back the phone. “Why don’t you tell me your favorites and I pick from that?”

He nodded, briefly flicking through the list of movies. “Alright, let’s see. I heard Knives Out is really good. It’s sort of like the old game Clue. Then there’s Underwater. Very dramatic, lots of action. And to round out my list would be Spies in Disguise. Because who doesn’t love the idea of Will Smith playing a spy that gets turned into a pigeon.”

Her head shot up and around towards him. “Seriously?” She asked, hoping her voice didn’t squeak as much as it sounded like to her.

A grin spread across his face. “What, I don’t seem like the kind of guy who would like watching animated movies?” She shook her head slowly and he chuckled. “So what do you think, any of those pique your interest?”

“Spies in Disguise,” she said the moment he finished his question, realizing a moment later how eager she sounded.

He didn’t seem to mind. “Spies it is,” he said, pulling away from the curb. “It’s nice to be able to go to a movie like this without worrying about being judged.”

“My friends tease me about it,” she admitted. “They think it’s an omega thing, liking cartoons at my age.” She paused, worried for a moment that mentioning her designation was crossing a line.

All he did was snort and shake his head. “Clearly your friends are not people of class,” he said, startling a laugh from her. They were quiet the rest of the ride, but not a bad sort of quiet. The discussion about cartoons had eased some of her nerves, made him feel like a person rather than just an alpha. They loaded down on popcorn and soda, sliding into their seats just in time to watch all of the previews.

“Is it weird that I actually really like watching the previews?” He murmured, leaning over slightly so she could hear him.

“I find it weird when people don’t like watching them,” she rebutted, happily stuffing her mouth with popcorn. He chuckled, settling back into his seat. It was nice, not only finding somebody who genuinely seemed to enjoy these types of movies, and didn’t talk through the entire thing.

She clutched her sides from laughing so hard as they left the theater. “That was a fantastic choice,” she said as they dumped their leftover popcorn in the trash.

“Will Smith and Tom Holland? Was there any chance of it being a bad movie,” he laughed as they walked towards his car. He paused as they got there, checking his watch, and she took the opportunity to get a better look at him without him noticing. He was dressed well, black slacks and a suit jacket over top a button up almost the same shade as her sweater. “See something you like?” He teased without glancing up. Her eyes widened, cheeks flushing bright red, and she quickly ducked down inside the car.

“Off to dinner,” he said as he slid into the driver’s seat, thankfully not mentioning her staring at him. “You hungry?”

“I usually am,” she admitted, eyes fixed on her lap while she willed the heat in her cheeks to go down. It was only a couple minutes before they were pulling up in front of a cute little bistro, but it was enough time for her to pull herself together at least a little. He opened the door for her, holding out a hand to help her out of the car. She accepted it after a moment, and the warmth of his touch did strange things to her stomach.

They were led to a cozy booth in the corner, and she felt his scent wrap around her again, the intensity of it making her head spin a little. “So,” he said, not seeming to notice her distraction. “I know now that you enjoy movies about spies turning into pigeons. What’s your favorite animated movie?”

The corner of her lips twitched up again. “Promise not to judge me?”

“I could never,” he said, laughing.

“Beauty and the Beast,” she said, pausing for a moment as a glass and a menu were placed before each of them. “The fight scene at the end where the wardrobe launches herself off the balcony to squish a bunch of people, that’s the kind of energy I want to bring into my life.”

He grinned. “Going with the classics. Very good choice.” He watched her for a moment and she started to squirm in her seat. “I propose a game,” he finally said. “Let’s call it questions. We go back and forth asking each other questions. If the other person answers it, you do too.”

“What if one of us doesn’t answer a question?” She asked.

“Then the other person has to impose a penalty,” he said with an almost mischievous grin. “Important rules though, any penalty given cannot be either dangerous or illegal. Deal?”

She bit her lip for a moment as she thought, missing the way his eyes caught on it. “Okay, deal. I’ll play this game. And I’ll win.”

“That sounds like a challenge,” he said, arching an eyebrow. “You should know, I’m very competitive.”

“Then you may have met your match,” she responded, the words out her mouth before she realized what she was saying. That sounded very close to flirting. She couldn’t be flirting with him. “You already asked me a question, now you have to answer it too,” she said, trying to push past it.

He tapped his nose. “Very sly. Okay, my favorite animated movie would have to be Toy Story.”

“Another classic,” she said, approving of his choice. “Okay, my turn.” She eyed him for a moment, before asking, “What is your favorite color?”

A startled look crossed his face, and then he chuckled. “Purple. Lavender to be specific. Yours?”

An awkward blush crossed her face. “My favorite color is complicated,” she said.

“Oh, now you definitely have to tell me.” He leaned forward on his elbows, watching her intently.

She sighed. “Okay, but you’re gonna think it’s weird,” she warned. He arched an eyebrow, and she sighed again. “My favorite color is fall.” His head tilted slightly to the side, and it looked like he was genuinely interested in what she had to say. “I like the reds and golds and browns. The way the leaves change so quickly from green into this gradient of beautiful colors. That’s my favorite.”

“See, I didn’t think that was weird at all,” he reassured her, and she felt some part of her loosen. “My turn.” He rubbed his hands together. “What is the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to you?” Her face fell, eyes turning to the table. She was saved from answering as the waitress appeared to ask for their order. It occurred to her that she’d been so wrapped in him she’d completely forgotten to look at the menu. She glanced up at Cyrus, panicking a little. “Would you like me to order something for you?” He asked. “This one time only.” She nodded shyly, zoning out a little as he ordered.

“Alright,” he said, focusing on her again. “Embarrassing story.” Her body tensed hunching forward slightly. The most embarrassing thing to ever happen to her? The day she’d had her first heat. It had hit her out of nowhere, in the middle of a packed mall. She hadn’t even known what was going on, confused and in pain with nobody to help her. Her jaw clenched as she got stuck in the pain of the memory.

A hand closing around hers startled her out of it, and she glanced up to see a concerned look on Cyrus’s face. “Let me amend my question,” he said softly. “What’s the dumbest thing you did as a kid?”

She took a deep breath, turning her hand over so their palms were together, his fingers brushing her wrist. She didn’t want to want his touch, but it pulled her out of her head. “The dumbest thing,” she repeated. “Okay. When I was six, an alpha boy was making fun of omegas. So I told him omegas could do anything an alpha could. He dared me to a race up a tree at the park, not knowing I was a tree climbing champ.” A grin twitched across his face at the mental image. “So we got ready, and another kid counted down. And then we raced up the tree. I made it to the top a full minute before him. He gave up and climbed back down. I got cocky about my skills, tried to climb up higher just to prove I could. Put my trust in the wrong branch.”

He visibly flinched, clearly seeing where her story was going. “I think I hit every single branch on the way down. Was covered with bruises, but had earned the respect of the neighborhood kids.”

“That is a pretty dumb thing,” he teased, but she shook her head.

“Oh, no, that wasn’t the dumb part,” she said. “The dumb part was climbing back up into it just a couple days later.” He laughed at that, a deep, full body laugh, and she couldn’t help but to smile in response. “Alright, your turn. Dumbest thing you did as a kid.”

He tapped his chin with his free hand, thinking. “You’ll have to give me a moment to pick one, I was a pretty dumb kid,” he said.

“I’ve found most boys are,” she responded, again without thought, earning herself a grin.

“Okay, dumbest thing I ever did. I was probably around ten. Middle of winter, a bunch of my also dumb friends were staying the night,” he started, leaning an elbow on the table. “We decided it would be a good idea to go swimming.”

“Oh no,” she said, her eyes wide.

“Oh yes. Only, that wasn’t good enough for us,” he continued. “See, the back porch roof overlooked the pool.”

“Oh no,” she repeated, covering her face, shoulders shaking with pent up laughter.

“Oh yes,” he reassured. “We all decided it would be a good idea to jump into the pool from the roof. I was of course the ring leader, so I went first. And that was how I broke my ankle and discovered the top of the pool was frozen solid. I was grounded for a month.”

Her head fell back and she gave up, the thought of a younger version of him trying to jump into a frozen pool was just too much. It took her a moment to calm down. “You’re right that is pretty dumb.”

“At least I didn’t fall out of a tree,” he teased.

“At least I didn’t jump blindly off a roof,” she laughed.

“Fair,” he said with a shrug. His fingers brushed across her wrist, just missing her scent gland, and she shivered but found that she didn’t mind it too much. “I think it’s your turn.”

“Okay,” she said. “What was your favorite tv show growing up?”

“He-man,” he said without even pausing to think. She gave him a judgy look. “What? He was a badass. What little boy wouldn’t want to grow up to be like him?” She just shook her head, fighting a smile. “Alright miss judgy, what was your favorite?”

He reached for his water, and she couldn’t help it. Maybe it was how comfortable she felt with him right now, teasing and flirting with each other. She just couldn’t help it. “Mine was Kim Possible. I adored Shego. She was tough, and sassy, total role model.” She waited until she saw him visibly take a sip of water before saying, “Actually, it was her that made me realize I was bi.”

His glass was nearly dropped onto the table, spilling a little bit, as he coughed and sputtered around the water he’d accidentally inhaled. “You did that on purpose,” he accused, glaring across the table at her, though the effect was somewhat lessened by the occasional coughing.

She propped her chin in her free hand, saying, “Prove it.” Something flashed in his eyes, and for the first time she realized that it may not be a good idea to provoke an alpha like she was. Luckily the food arrived then, diffusing the sudden tension her trick had brought. Their game went back and forth as they ate, and it was like her little taunt had never happened.

At the end of the date, he escorted her politely to the door. She turned to say good night, and found herself caged in, his palms on the door on either side of her head, body so close but not touching. “By the way Amelia,” he said, his voice dark and silky. He leaned in closer to whisper in her ear, “I will get even for that water trick.” He brushed a kiss across her cheek and stood back. “Sweet dreams.” His smile was all charm, and he whistled on his way back to the car.

She wasn’t sure how long she stayed leaning against the door, her legs jello, heart beating out of her chest. Eventually her body calmed and she was able to make it inside, flopping across the couch. Knowing she wouldn’t hear the end of it if she didn’t do it now, she pulled out her phone and shot off a text to Tracy. ‘So Cyrus likes cartoons.’

It was only a minute or two later that her phone dinged again. ‘I know!! Isn’t it adorable?!?’ Amelia shook her head, unable to fight the smile on her face. That was one word, though not the one she would choose. She trudged up to bed, grateful that some of her friends were coming to visit in a couple of days. Maybe they’d be able to help untangle this mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll add this to the beginning of the next chapter as well so more people see it. Now that I know there are some people reading this, would y'all rather have shorter chapters but more often, or longer chapters but farther apart?


	3. caught up in the middle of it all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am once again astounded and just excited beyond belief to be getting comments, I love y'all, you bring me life. I have a question. Would y'all prefer longer chapters but further apart, or shorter chapters but posting more often? I also made a cover for this, lemme know if you're interested in seeing it!

Her friends arrived in a flurry of excitement, bearing bags full of liquor and snacks. Everything was dropped on the kitchen table in a hurry so the three could embrace. If they squeezed Amelia slightly harder than was comfortable, she couldn’t find it in herself to mind.

“Alright, what did you bring for this evening’s festivities?” She asked as they broke apart.

“I brought the liquor!” One said brightly, a statuesque redhead, as she started pulling things out of her bag. “I thought we’d make some jungle juice, so I’ve got vodka, oranges, pineapple juice, you know, all the necessary basics.”

The other, a curvy blonde with a wild mess of hair, unceremoniously dumped her bag on the table. “I brought oreos, chips, cheese puffs, and popcorn! Because it’s not a slumber party without unhealthy snacks. Ooh, we should order chinese food for dinner.”

“The usual?” Amelia said, grinning as she pulled out her phone. They both chirped their agreement as they moved comfortably around her kitchen, setting up for the evening. She stepped into the other room to make the phone call. “You guys brought your pajamas, right?” She asked as she stepped back into the kitchen.

“Well it’s not a slumber party without pjs of course,” the red head laughed as she cut up her oranges. “We may have left them in the car though. Lorie, can you check?” The blonde snapped a smart salute and left to track down the missing pajamas.

“I’m really glad you guys decided to come out,” Amelia admitted, sitting down at the table. “I really need this. Seriously, thank you Cece.”

Cece brushed a kiss across the top of her head as she walked past. “Hey, you’re like, my favorite person in the world. Do you know how much I miss living with you?” The mood dropped as they both remembered the last time they’d been together, packing her stuff up in their dorm. “How’s your mom been?” She asked, trying to bring the mood back up.

“She’s pretty good. She took some time off to be here with me, but she’s back to work a couple days a week,” she said, propping her chin in her hand and watching Cece work.

Before she could respond, Lorie slid back into the room in her socks, holding up a bag and victoriously crying out, “Found them!” They laughed, catching her up on all the current gossip at the university while they changed and prepared for the evening.

They found themselves curled up on the couch, cups in their hands, snacks spread haphazardly across the dining room table, reminiscing and joking. “I’m thinking about getting a haircut,” Lorie said at one point.

Cece and Amelia exchanged excited looks. “Are you going to join the short hair club?” Cece asked.

Lorie gave them a level look. “I’m not getting it that short,” she said, reaching over to tug on a strand of Amelia’s hair, which had been cut in a perfect chin length bob for as long as they’d been friends. “I’m just thinking like a little past my shoulders. That’s all.”

“One of us, one of us,” they chanted, banging their fists on their knees, progressively getting louder until Lorie threw a handful of popcorn at them.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough of that,” she said, laughing. “Hey Amelia, if it’s okay to talk about...” Her voice hesitated, and they all knew what she was talking about.

Amelia sighed, taking a sip of her alcohol, knowing she might need it to bolster her nerves. “Yeah, I can talk about it. What do you want to know?”

The girls exchanged looks, and she had a feeling they had discussed it prior. “We’ve heard a lot of conflicting stories. Do you really have to go through an interview?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I get assigned a caseworker, and we have an interview, I guess to get to know me and stuff. And then I had to fill out this really detailed questionnaire. Apparently what the guys have to go through is incredibly thorough and intense, so I guess it wasn’t too bad.” Her cheeks flushed at the memory of what had been at the end of hers, and she tried to bury her face in her cup to keep them from seeing it.

It was too late though. Grinning, Cece asked, “So if it wasn’t too bad, why do you look like a tomato?”

The color in her cheeks intensified. “The end of the questionnaire may have, kind of sorta, been about, ah, sex.” Her voice got quieter and more awkward as she talked.

Lorie snorted. “Let me guess, you answered a bunch of questions with ‘unsure’?” She got shoved off the couch for that, the three of them laughing. “Okay, okay, for real questions. You said you’ve been on two dates so far. What were they like?”

Toying with the edge of her cup, she said, “They weren’t like what I was expecting to be honest. The first date I went on was with a guy named Miles. He reminded me a little bit of a puppy. Very cheerful and sweet. He took me to the aquarium, and has dad jokes for days.” And she paused and then said with a smile, “And he bought me a shark scarf.”

“Very perceptive of him, they are your favorite animal,” Cece said, munching on a handful of popcorn. “What about the second date?”

“The second date was with Cyrus. He was charming, in a really polished sort of way,” she said, leaning against the back of the couch. “We went to dinner and a movie and then played questions.”

“There’s some good movies out right now,” the blonde said, climbing back up onto the couch. “What did you see?”

Amelia shot her a look. “You’re not allowed to judge me,” she said, and the blonde held her hands up. “We went to see Spies in Disguise.”

“So he’s adorkable like you,” Cece said around a sip of her drink, hiding her grin. Amelia stuck her tongue out at her. “But that’s good! You have similar interests! Okay, okay, I have to ask, with you being an omega, and them being alphas. How is that working out?”

She frowned slightly, brow furrowed. “Odd, actually. I expected them to be really forward and bossy, but they were both incredibly polite. They didn’t try to take any liberties, and they never called me by my designation or tried to order me around. They both smelled really good though.” It escaped before she could stop it, and she blushed slightly. That wasn’t something she’d told anybody yet.

“You know, that whole scenting thing is probably the only thing I’m sad betas don’t have. Can you imagine how cool it would be to know what people actually smell like?” Cece said cheerfully.

Lorie scrunched her nose. “Um, no, I’m okay. You guys can keep that.”

Ignoring her, Cece asked, “So what did they smell like?”

“Miles smelled like honey,” she said, unable to help her smile. “Like warm honey. It was really comforting for some reason.” The girls leaned closer, intent and curious. “Cyrus smelled like spices. It was kind of sharp. Very heady, especially when it was just the two of us in a small space.”

“That sounds super intense,” Lorie said, pulling her feet up under her. “They haven’t found a third alpha yet?”

Shaking her head, Amelia said, “No. Apparently it can take a while. Miles was a fluke, Tracy, my case worker, was the one who interviewed him last and apparently she thought we were a perfect match so she expedited the process."

"Oh hey, what's Tracy like?" Cece asked.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Tracy is bouncy and chipper and excitable. Almost to a ridiculous degree." They grinned at that. "But it's like she has a sixth sense for knowing what I need when she's around me. She's really good at her job."

The two friends leaned into her and she sighed, taking in their warmth. "Alright, enough of this serious talk," Lorie said, snatching up the remote. "Time to watch some Supernatural." They cheered to that, drinking any time Dean said Sammy or Sam used his puppy dog eyes. At the end of the night they all bundled into her small bed, sprawled across each other like normal.

"We'll have to have another slumber party after you move," Cece said sleepily. "So we can see what your new house looks like."

Amelia nuzzled her shoulder, saying, "I'd really like that." The three passed out then. In the morning they said tearful goodbyes, and Amelia was left wandering listlessly through the house.

Following the set schedule, Tracy called exactly a week after her last date. “Good morning Tracy,” she said as she sat down with a bowl of cereal.

“Good morning Amelia!” She said in her usual chipper voice. “So we still haven’t chosen your third alpha. But I thought it would be a good idea for you all to start getting used to being around each other, so I’d like to set up a date with you and your two alphas. What do you think?”

It felt weird, being asked her opinion about something. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” she said slowly. If they were eventually going to be living with each other, it would probably be a good idea to get used to each other’s company.

“Fantastic!” Tracy chirped. “I’ll let the guys know. Are you free on Friday around noon?” Amelia confirmed that she was, and Tracy hung up without saying goodbye again. The next day she received a text, telling her to dress warm and comfortable.

Friday rolled around faster than the two previous dates. Maybe she was less nervous this time around. A couple minutes before noon there was a soft knock at the door. And without looking, she already knew who it was. “Hi Miles,” she said with a smile as she opened the door.

“Hi Amelia,” he said cheerfully, before his eyes fell on the scarf around her neck. “You’re wearing my scarf!”

“Well it is my favorite animal,” she teased. He held his hand out and she threaded her fingers through his, following him towards his cute red soul. “So where are we going this time?” He glanced over at her with a grin, and before he could respond she said, “I know, I know, it’s a surprise,” making him laugh.

The ride was quiet but comfortable as she enjoyed his soothing scent. When they pulled up in front of their destination, her eyebrows shot up. “The botanical gardens?” She asked.

“Yep! But that’s only half of it. Come on, we’re meeting Cyrus inside,” he said, helping her out of the car. She followed after him, nerves starting to edge back in. How would it be, being around both of the alphas at once? What if they didn’t like each other, or if they started posturing or competing for her attention? She knew that was a problem a lot of alphas had.

They stepped into the gardens to see Cyrus approaching. He offered the same charming smile, leaning down to kiss her cheek. A shiver rolled through her as she remembered how their date had ended, and by the intensity in his eyes when he pulled away, she could tell he was reliving the same memory.

He grinned, taking her free hand in his, and they wandered around the gardens for a while, enjoying the winter flowers that were in bloom while Miles returned to cracking dad jokes to keep things getting tense.

“Let’s head into the conservatory, I’m starting to get kind of cold,” Cyrus said after a bit, tugging her hand to turn her that way. She certainly wasn’t going to protest, her nose and cheeks had turned pink a long time ago.

They entered the much warmer conservatory and she sighed softly, shaking off the cold. It didn’t register that they were leading her somewhere, until her eyes fell on the red and white checkered blanket spread across the ground, a picnic basket sitting next to it. “A picnic?” She asked, in a little bit of shock.

“Yep!” Miles said, tugging her towards it. “This was my first choice of dates. Cyrus is the one who suggested we have it somewhere warm, so we got permission to have it in here.” She couldn’t help her smile at such a sweet and thoughtful gesture. They settled onto the blanket, and Miles passed out sandwiches and cans of soda from the basket, before settling some grapes in a bowl between them.

“Did you have fun with your friends the other night?” Cyrus asked as they dug into their food. At her startled look, he continued, “Tracy told me when we were setting up our date.”

That made sense. “It went well. One of them, Cece, was my roommate before I came back home. The other, Lorie, I met in a trig class my first year. I introduced them to each other, and we’ve been best friends ever since,” she said, eyes focused on her drink. She missed spending all of her time with them outside of class.

A hand landing on hers pulled her from her melancholy, and she looked up into Miles’ gentle smile. “I’d really like to meet them at some point,” he said.

“Seconded,” Cyrus said around a bite of sandwich, and she had to laugh at how undignified he looked at the moment.

“I think they’d really like that too,” she said. “They’re kind of protective over me.”

“Well you’re worth being protective of,” Miles responded, making her blush. “After all, you’re the only one who’s ever been able to come close to my dad jokes skills.” She laughed, throwing a grape at him. “Cyrus told me you guys went to see Spies in Disguise. Was it any good?”

She grinned. “It was fantastic. Hilarious. Do you like animated movies too?”

He looked disgruntled. “Of course. Who doesn’t?”

“Many people apparently,” Cyrus said, leaning back on his hands.

Crumbling up her trash neatly in front of her, she asked, “Have you guys seen that show on Netflix, She-ra?” The question was just barely finished when Cyrus slapped a hand across her mouth, Miles covering his ears.

“No spoilers,” Cyrus warned. “I haven’t seen the newest season. I want to rewatch the first three first, and I haven’t had the time yet.”

She laughed around his hand, shoving it away. “Alright, alright, no spoilers, it was just a question. Maybe we can watch it together, make a day of it. Trust me, it’s phenomenal.”

“Sounds like fun to me,” Miles said, his hands dropping to his lap. They finished their picnic and packed everything back up into the basket. “Why don’t we go for a walk? There’s an ice cream place nearby, and I could really go for a soft serve. I just have to stow this basket in my car.”

“You know it’s the middle of winter, right?” Cyrus said as they headed for the door.

Miles threaded his fingers through hers as she said, “There’s never a bad time for soft serve.” Cyrus put his hands up in defeat before capturing her free hand. She shivered as they stepped back out into the cold, and both men pressed closer to her. Their scents swirled around her and she shivered again, for a different reason this time.

She was left alone with Cyrus for a moment while Miles went to put the basket in his car. He tugged her slightly closer, bending to murmur in her ear, “Don’t think I’ve forgotten that little trick you played on me. My retribution will be swift and without mercy.” He straightened up as Miles returned.

“Alright I’m ready to- Amelia, you okay?” Miles asked, threading his fingers through hers again. “You’re really red.”

It took everything she had not to look up at Cyrus as he asked. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she responded nervously. “Just really cold.” They started their walk to the ice cream place, talking about shows they’d seen. It wasn’t a long walk, and within a couple minutes they were settled at a table with cones, Cyrus across from her, Miles next to her. “This was a good idea,” she said as she licked her ice cream, not noticing the intent look Cyrus was giving her.

Cyrus waited until she went to lick it again, the cone tilted at just the right angle, and then tapped the bottom with just enough force to shove it into her face. She sputtered, yanking her head back as both men laughed. A glare was shot in the dark haired man’s direction, and he grinned. “I told you. Swift and without mercy.” That broke her and she joined in their laughter, trying to scrub the ice cream from her face with a handful of napkins. Some part of her eased with the realization that that had been the extent of his retribution. She’d been worried over the fact she’d purposefully provoked an alpha.

They headed back after that. As they reached the parking lot, Miles stopped and brushed a kiss across her cheek. “I drove you here, so Cyrus is going to drive you back,” he explained with a smile. “I want to do something really bold first.”

“Are you going to kiss my nose again?” She teased.

He shook his head, holding out his hand and asking, “Can I see your scarf?” She pulled it off and reluctantly held it out to him. “Okay, now turn around for a moment.” Rolling her eyes, she did so. It was only a moment before he said, “Okay, you can turn back around.” When she did, he wrapped the scarf around her neck again.

This time it smelled like him, she rubbed her face against it for a moment before catching herself. “You scented it?”

“Something to remember me by,” he said with a grin. “I told you, really bold.” With a wave he headed back towards his car, leaving her alone with Cyrus, who squeezed her hand.

“You ready to go?” He asked, and she nodded, following beside him towards their car.

“That ice cream trick was mean,” she said as they slid into their seats. “I think I still probably have ice cream on my face.

He shrugged as he started the car and pulled away. “I told you, retribution. I don’t get mad, I get even.” When he parked in front of her house and made to get out, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Wait, close your eyes and hold out your hands, I have a gift.”

A smile tugged her lips as her eyes closed. “I think Miles is rubbing off on you,” she said as something was set in her hands. She opened her eyes to the sight of the cutest little shark plushie she’d ever seen.

“I asked him what your favorite animal was and found this for you yesterday,” he said, watching for her reaction. “What do you think?”

“It’s adorable,” she said, trying to resist the urge to bring it to her face and snuggle with it. For the first time, she bent over the center console to press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.” It wasn’t until she was safely inside her house that she nuzzled the toy. His sharp scent wafted around her, and she realized that he’d scented it, apparently both of her alphas having had the same idea. She fell asleep that night surrounded by their scents.

Tracy broke her pattern after that, and Amelia was getting restless. When the call came, a little over two weeks since her last date, she dove across the couch to answer it immediately. “Hey Tracy,” she said, a little breathless.

“Amelia, hi,” she responded, not seeming quite as perky as usual. “I wanted to let you know we’ve selected your third alpha.”

“Is something wrong?” Amelia asked. “You don’t seem quite as excited as normal.”

She heard a slow exhale from the other side of the phone. “The situation is a little different. We went back and forth a lot about this one. I have absolute faith that he’ll be a good alpha for you, he’s just a bit… different from your first two.” Because that didn’t sound ominous at all. “Are you free any time this week?”

“Yeah, I don’t have any plans,” she responded, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Okay, good. I’ll get in contact with him and message you the details.” There was a hesitation, and then, “Just, don’t judge him at first glance. Give him a chance.” Before she could ask any questions, the line went dead. She flopped across the couch, a shudder rolling through her. Anything that could make Tracy sound that serious worried her.

Trying to distract herself, she got up to make lunch. Not even ten minutes later her phone buzzed with a text. Tonight, nine pm, dress warm. She fumbled with her phone, trying not to drop it or the sandwich she’d just finished making. Tonight. It was one now, which meant she had a date with a man that could deflate Tracy in maybe eight hours. She forced the sandwich down despite being unable to taste it, knowing she probably wouldn’t be able to eat dinner. It didn’t help that her mom had two shifts today, so she wouldn’t be home until after the date started.

She was dressed and ready to go at five of, pacing nervously back and forth through the living room. At nine there was a shark knock on the door, and she took a deep breath before answering. The first thing she noticed was the man’s scent, musky and woodsy, making her head spin. She looked up at him then, and up and up. He had to have been 6’5 with a brooding face and a mouth that looked more prone to scowling than smiling. He was broad all over, his hands easily dwarfing hers. This was what she’d been afraid of before her first date. There was no mistaking this man as anything but an alpha.

His eyes traced down her form before he said, “Warmer. Hat, scarf, and gloves.” His voice was a deep growl, and she found herself obeying without thought. He led the way towards his jeep, which was probably one of the only vehicles that could fit his large frame. They were silent the entire ride, his eyes focused firmly ahead, her shaking in fear in the seat beside him.

It took everything she had to lift her eyes from the spot she’d been studying on the floor to look around. They were at the ocean, or more specifically, a small amusement park situated on a pier. He helped her out of the jeep and she was glad for the gloves, glad that she didn’t have to touch him. Instead of holding her hand, he wrapped his fingers loosely around her wrist. She followed close after him as they made their way through a small crowd of people.

They stopped in front of a large ferris wheel. He said something to the man running it, and then they were being let on. There was a long tense silence as they rode around. He took up most of the room on the bench, and she pressed herself against one side to keep from touching him. She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to be anything but scared of this mountain of a man.

Thankfully, he spoke before she could start panicking. “When I was a kid, I was terrified of heights,” he said, and she blinked up at him in surprise. “The sheer thought of them could make me throw up. One day I decided it was time to stop being afraid. So I came here, to this ferris wheel. I would cling to the bar, my eyes squeezed tight, trying not to throw up at the feeling of it moving up and down. Every day I would come here, my fear never lessening, never giving up.”

The wheel stopped with them at the top, giving them a gorgeous view of the small tourist town, but she saw none of it. All of her attention was focused on him. “I don’t know when it changed. Maybe it was a slow thing. Maybe it happened all at once. But suddenly I could feel the breeze. Gentle some days, fierce others, fierce enough that it occasionally threatened to shut down the ride. It felt like a living breathing thing. That was the turning point. I began noticing other things. The sound of people down below, the whir of the mechanisms, the crashing of the waves. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I felt more alive than I ever had.”

She watched as he closed his eyes, as if reliving it. “And then one day I opened my eyes. I waited until we had stopped at the very top,” he continued. “I couldn’t look straight down. Instead I looked up. It was night time, no clouds. I vividly remember the stars. Clear and bright, so much more beautiful than they ever had been from the ground. That was the moment my fear disappeared, realizing how much I had been missing while trapped on the ground. I looked around, watching the lights of the town, the bustle of people far below me.”

They started to make their descent, and she slowly began to relax. “I came back the next day so I could ride while the sun was out. I thought, this must be what birds feel like. And then I turned as much as I could to watch the ocean. I could see so far out to sea, could see boats, see people splashing around in the waves.” She found herself wanting to turn around and look at it, but it was too dark for that.

“Thinking about the ocean, I had an epiphany. The ocean was vast, powerful. She could be gentle, or she could be violent, unpredictable as much as she was beautiful. And yet despite that danger, people still flocked to ride the waves, to splash in the water. This ocean is what it is, authentic, unapologetic, and people loved her for it. She drew in only the people who would appreciate her without expectations.” They circled back around, coming to a stop at the top once more.

“I realized that that was what I wanted to be. Authentic. Unapologetic. Not making excuses about who I was, but not allowing anybody to change or manipulate me into what they wanted me to be. I knew, if I could do that, I would attract the people I wanted in my life. The people who were like me, the people who were authentic, the people who wanted to learn from me.” He stopped and there was a long moment of silence.

“I haven’t quite figured out how to do that,” she said, quietly speaking up for the first time. “I feel like so much of my time is spent trying to please others, trying to take care of everybody else, never letting myself work on, well, me.”

He glanced down and they made eye contact. “I’m not sure if it’s something you can just do. You can’t tell yourself to be more confident, can’t tell yourself not to be afraid, can’t force yourself to believe in things you just don’t believe. It has to come to you on its own. A moment, where things click into place, and you see things you didn’t see before. It’s not always easy. There are times where I have to remind myself who I am, where I fall back into old habits. But I bring that moment back into my head, use it as a reminder.”

“I guess I haven’t had my moment yet,” she said wryly.

“There’s no time limit on authenticity. It will come when it comes.” The fear fled from her body, and she eased away from the side, laying her head on his arm and watching as the world rose and sank. “What are you afraid of?” He asked.

“Jellyfish,” she said with a smile. “I got stung by one when I was a kid and then had nightmares about it. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that’s something that can be cured with exposure therapy.” She felt more that heard his chuckle, and she allowed his scent to wrap around her. “I guess it doesn’t really count as a fear, but there’s a lot of things that make me anxious. Large crowds, lots of loud noises. I can’t come out to the pier during the on season because of it. I don’t know why it started. When I was a kid, I used to love going to the arcade here. And then one day, when I was maybe ten, I walked inside and was assaulted by all the sounds and the crush of people. That’s the day I had my first panic attack. My mom had to leave work early and come get me.”

He shifted them so that she was leaning into his side, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “My friends call me the socially anxious mom friend. I like doing things for other people, but I don’t like them helping me back.”

“You’re not really used to people trying to take care of you.” It wasn’t a question, but she shook her head anyway. “Why?”

“Ever since I was little, my mom had to work a lot. It was the only way we could afford the place we were living, so I could be in a good school district. She tried to be around as much as she could, instilled good values in me, and I know she loved me.” She sighed, letting her eyes close. “But I still had to basically raise myself half the time. I got really good at taking care of me. Knowing how much she worked, I always tried taking care of her too. I didn’t cause trouble, didn’t make waves. And now the thought of somebody trying to take care of me terrifies me, because that’s always been my job.”

She felt him lean his head on hers. “My childhood was pretty similar. It was just me, my dad, and my little sister. My mom died of cancer when I was six and my sister was two. My dad broke. All he could manage was working. So I took it on myself to take care of my sister. I raised both of us by myself. I never could figure out if my need to care and protect was situational, part of my personality, or because I was an alpha.”

“Maybe a mixture,” she said, her gloved hand finding his. He made a noncommittal sound, and she could feel his lips brush against her hair.

“I’m Garrett by the way,” he said, and she laughed.

“You scared the crap out of me,” she said, elbowing his side. “Dragging me out here without a word.”

Another chuckle rumbled through him. “Would you believe me if I said I was nervous? I knew what I wanted to say, and where I wanted to say it, and I was worried that if I gave myself too much time to think I’d never manage it. I’m not so great at being vulnerable.”

“I definitely don’t believe it, but I will accept your answer anyways,” she teased. “Hey, we’ve been on here for a while. Do rides usually last this long?” She glanced up to see him grinning, and the sight of it did funny things to her stomach.

“I may have slipped the attendant a fifty,” he said. “Are you getting cold?” She nodded. Despite her warm clothes and his body heat, it was cold up so far in the air. He gestured to the attendant, and they slowed to a stop on their next descent, allowing them to get off. “Would you like to go home now, or can I show you one more thing?”

Her hand found his again, and she said, “I’m definitely up for seeing one more thing.” They wandered down the little boardwalk. Most of the places were closed for the season, but one little shop was still open. He ordered them a funnel cake and a large lemonade before directing her towards the bench.

“This place has the best lemonade I have ever tasted,” he said, offering her the cup.

“The best, huh?” She said, tugging off her gloves before taking a sip. He was right, it was the best lemonade she’d ever had. They sat there for a while, eating the funnel cake and passing the lemonade back and forth, before he finally spoke up again.

“Each of us has a specific purpose in your life,” he said, and it didn’t take much thought to figure out what he was talking about. “Miles is your comfort. He was chosen for his soothing scent and personality. You’re welcome to come to any of us of course, but your emotional health will be his primary concern. Cyrus is the leader. He’ll make most of the household decisions.”

She took a sip of the lemonade before asking, “What’s your purpose?”

His hand came out to grasp her chin, thumb brushing across her lips and making her shiver. “I’m here to make you feel powerful,” he said quietly.

They wandered back to his jeep after they were done, and she leaned back against it, looking up at him curiously. “Can I ask you a question?” When he nodded his assent, she said, “You’ve all been really… polite, I guess. Nobody’s been bossy or tried to order me around or go all alpha on me. You barely touch me. And none of you have even once used my designation. How come?”

“We have very strict rules for these dates,” he said, surprising her. “Under no circumstances are we allowed to use your designation. We’re not allowed to ‘go all alpha’, as you said. We’re only allowed to touch your hands and your face, and we’re not allowed to kiss you. The only time we can touch any other part of you is when you initiate it.”

“So cuddling on the ferris wheel?” She asked.

He nodded. “You started it. Give me your hands.” She held her hands out to him and he pressed his against them, palm to palm, before threading their fingers together. Her hands were pinned gently to the jeep on either side of her head. He loomed over her and her breath caught. “We aren’t even allowed to properly scent you. Do you know how hard that is to resist, with you smelling as good as you do?”

“What- what do I smell like?” She asked, her voice shaking.

“Like rain,” he said. “Like the earth after a storm. If thunderstorms had a scent, they would smell like you. So powerful. You just have to learn to see it.”

It felt like her whole body was trembling as she searched his eyes. “If I initiate it, am I allowed to kiss you?” She whispered. He bent closer, close enough that their breath mingled, until his lips were only a whisper away from hers. Gathering her courage, she leaned forward just enough that she could mold her lips to his. He growled, kissing her back, but only matching what she gave. She tugged at her hands, wanting to touch him, whining when he wouldn’t release her. Instead he brought her hands higher so that he could pin them over her head with one hand.

His free hand curled around her cheek, and they were both panting when they broke the kiss. He ran his thumb across her lips, watching her hooded eyes, the way her small body trembled. Tilting her face to the side, he bent in until his lips brushed her ear. “The house is finished in five days. After that, all of the rules go out the window, and I’m free to put my hands on you finally.”

A low whimper escaped her at the thought, and a word hung from her lips. It was a fight to keep it inside, but slowly she came back to herself. He released her and stepped back. “Get in the car Amelia,” he growled. “I don’t want to accidentally break a rule and lose my chance at you.” She nodded, hurrying into the jeep. His hand found hers on the drive back.

As they pulled up in front of her house he turned towards her, dark eyes unreadable. “Good night Amelia. I would walk you to your door, but I don’t particularly trust myself right now.” She nodded mutely and undid her seat belt. Before she could lose her nerve, she turned towards him, curling her hands around his face and brushing her lips softly across his. He growled, but made no move to grab her as she left. She watched his jeep pull away from the porch, touching her lips without seeming to realize it.

It wasn’t until she was back in the safety of her house that everything finally crashed into her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been that honest with somebody. Not with her friends, certainly not with her mom. And she couldn’t believe she’d almost called him alpha. Not once in her life had she ever done that.

All she wanted to do was go to bed, but she forced herself to pull out her phone and sent a text to Tracy. ‘You were right. I gave him a chance, and the date went really well.’ She didn’t expect a response, considering it was a little after eleven now, but one pinged just a couple minutes later.

‘I’m so relieved. I had full confidence, but I wasn’t sure how you would react to him at first’ There were no emojis with this one, which was surprising. Another came through soon after. ‘By the way, the house will be all finished soon. You’ll be able to move in by saturday morning!’

Saturday. Five days away. She supposed she’d better start packing.


	4. memories of a stolen place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to get a wisdom tooth pulled today and it wasn't fun. I've also decided to try and keep chapters around this length, and my goal is to post every Friday. Enjoy!

Five days passed in a blur. It took very little time to pack all of her stuff, since she’d been reassured she wouldn’t need any of her furniture. Saturday morning came with an early text from Tracy. ‘So sorry I can’t be there to show you the house, I have interviews all day! Sending someone to pick you up around noon though. Text me and tell me what you think later!’ It was followed by a bunch of heart eye emojis, and as messages from Tracy always did, it brought a smile to her face.

Noon came with a knock on the door. Dawn turned away with tears in her eyes as Amelia answered it to the sight of the same two men who’d picked her up before. “Hello Miss Duran,” one said with a cheerful smile. “Are you ready to see your new home?” She nodded mutely and went to grab one of her bags, only to be waved away. “Don’t worry about that, we’ll carry your things out.”

She stepped back as they started to carry out her few boxes and bags. Instead she turned and held onto her mom, the two of them clinging to each other, scared of what the future might hold, of how long it might be until they saw each other again. Taking a deep breath, she pulled away and headed towards the door, following the men as the last of her things were taken to the suv.

Half an hour later they were pulling up in front of her new home. Her offer to help carry in her stuff was waved away, so she headed up to the front door alone. Hearing Tracy’s plans for the house was one thing, but actually seeing it was an entirely different beast. Her eyes were wide as she took in the foyer before stepping into the living room. It was amazing. It was like Tracy had reached into her mind and plucked out all the images of what would make a perfect home.

She heard noise in the kitchen and went to investigate, finding Miles and Cyrus already in there, drinking coffee and talking softly. Cyrus was the first to notice her, and he grinned. “I have to say, this house looks fantastic,” he told her. “You and Tracy did an amazing job.”

Miles brightened at the sight of her. He set his coffee down and rushed across the room to wrap his arms tightly around her. “I get to hug you now!” He said cheerfully and she laughed, returning the hug. It was hard to feel off balance or nervous when he was around.

He pulled away and Cyrus took his place, pulling her against his chest and kissing the top of her head. “It’s good to see you again,” he murmured before releasing her. “Garrett’s upstairs settling into his room.”

“Garrett’s right here,” she heard as a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. “Like I would miss the chance to finally get my hands on our girl.” Her face flushed as she remembered their last conversation and the way she’d kissed him. The thought of doing so again made the red in her cheeks darker.

As Garrett released her, Cyrus grinned again. “Would it be okay if I showed you your room? I helped a bit in the design.” She wondered for a moment why he would ask like that, before remembering that the men weren’t allowed in her room without explicit permission. Curious, she nodded, and Cyrus led the way out of the kitchen.

“I’ll start on lunch!” Miles called from behind them, and they exchanged a smile.

She hesitated at the bottom of the stairs to her room, allowing Cyrus to go first before letting out a slow breath and following him up. At the top of the stairs she froze, eyes looking around in the room in shock. The first thing she noticed were the walls. The top halves were white, before slowly being overtaken by a cascading mix of reds and golds and oranges in a perfect representation of autumn leaves.

It was the bed that she noticed next, with a dark wood frame and the most beautiful comforter she’d ever seen, a forest of trees in the middle of fall. “I may have given Tracy a few ideas about your favorite colors,” Cyrus said as he watched her spin in a slow circle. “How’d we do?”

“It’s perfect,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “I love it.”

He grinned. “You should go see the bathroom.” She hurried towards it, excited to see what they’d done. The walls were done in a swirling mix of blues and sea greens. As her eyes landed on the floor, she laughed. There was a ring of little sharks painted around the baseboards.

“That’s fucking adorable,” she said, coming back out into the rest of the room. She threw her arms around him and squeezed. “Thank you. So much. I can’t even put into words how much I love it.”

“I’m glad,” he said, squeezing her back. “Come on, let’s bring your stuff upstairs while Miles makes lunch.” She was unable to stop looking around as they moved through the house, carrying her things to her room. It was hard to believe that this was going to be her new home. Just for a little while she’d let herself be optimistic about this.

By the time they were done, Miles was finishing lunch and they settled at the dining room table. “I love BLTs,” she said with a sigh as she bit into her sandwich. It was perfect, the bacon just the right amount of crispy.

“I know,” Miles said cheerfully.

She froze, sandwich halfway to her mouth. “How would you know that?” She asked slowly. That wasn’t something that had exactly come up in conversation. The men froze as well. “Miles, how do you know that?”

He looked everywhere but at her as he said, “It, uh, it may have been listed in your questionnaire.” She did remember listing some of her favorite foods while filling it out, but how would they know that unless-

Her eyes widened. “Have you guys seen my questionnaire?” She whispered. Their silence was telling. Remembering what had been at the end of it, she swallowed hard. “All ten pages?” Garrett leaned his elbows on the table, looking across it at her with a dark smile, and her cheeks flushed bright red. “Oh god.” Her face dropped into her hands. She’d done her best to answer it as honestly as possible, and all three of them had read it. “Okay, I, um, I think I’m going to take my sandwich up to my room and work on unpacking.” She fled before any of them could stop her.

Cyrus and Miles exchanged looks. “So I think that went well,” Cyrus said, and Miles snorted, trying not to laugh. “You have to admit, she’s very cute when she blushes.” They all agreed to that.

Up in her room, Amelia sat with her head in her hands, sandwich forgotten on the bed beside her. She couldn’t believe they’d all seen it. Every question she’d answered, every little bit of information given. And it had been very detailed. She groaned, flopping backwards, arm thrown over her face. If they’d seen hers, why hadn’t she been given the chance to see theirs? It made her feel vulnerable. She’d thought having the first date with everybody would put her on more equal footing, but this destroyed that.

She looked around the room again. It was beautiful, lovely, more than she could have ever imagined. As the reality of her situation set back in, she saw it for what it was. The perfect little cage. This wasn’t a home. It was a trap, designed to make her feel comfortable and complacent. And for a little while, she’d fallen for it. Tears formed in her eyes. She carefully set the sandwich on the nightstand to keep from making a mess, before rolling into a ball and letting herself succumb to tears.

Miles leaned against her door, listening to her sniffle and cry. “Do you think she’s going to come down for dinner later?” He asked Cyrus quietly as he came up the stairs.

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t bet on it. She’ll probably come down in the middle of the night when we’re in bed. You should make sure there are some leftovers for her,” he said with a grimace. “Maybe one of us should wait up for her.”

“I’ll wait,” Miles said. “I’m usually up late anyways. I’ll see if I can coax her into a movie.” They crept down the stairs, careful not to let her hear them moving around. After a while, she passed out, exhausted from the crying and the stress of moving. She slept until late, not waking up until almost ten. She moved restlessly around her room, unpacking some of her clothes but mostly just wandering without direction or thought.

Around midnight she snuck downstairs, figuring everybody was probably asleep. Her stomach wasn’t going to let her go without food much longer, and her sandwich was no longer good. She dropped it in the trash, plate put in the dishwasher, before exploring the fridge. Her stomach grumbled at the sight of what looked like leftover chicken alfredo, which she figured was probably what they’d had for dinner. That would work.

Popping a bite in her mouth and trying not to moan at how good it tasted, she headed towards the living room, only to freeze at the sight of Miles stretched out across the couch reading. He glanced up at her and smiled gently, setting his book in his lap. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Fine,” she responded stiffly, unable to meet his eyes. “I took a nap and then got hungry.” Trying to delay any sort of conversation, she took another bite and sighed. “This is really good,” she admitted. “Did you make it?”

He beamed. “I did! I’m glad you like it. Cooking is kind of a passion of mine,” he said.

She glanced up at him finally. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, I would hope it is, I am a chef,” he laughed. Whatever she’d expected him to say, that had not been it.

“That’s… kind of cool,” she said reluctantly, creeping further into the living room. “How long have you been doing that?”

“I’ve been a chef for about three years where I work now,” he said, stretching before sitting up. “I worked my way up through the kitchen, and when one of the previous chefs retired, I was chosen as the replacement. There are two of us who swap back and forth.” He patted the couch next to him. “Want to sit? It might make eating easier.”

She did want to sit, but she curled up in one of the chairs instead of sitting next to him. He didn’t seem put out, stretching his legs back out. “Do you want to watch a movie while you eat?” He asked.

“I wouldn’t want to interrupt your reading,” she said, though a movie did sound good.

“It’s okay, I’ve read this book so many times that I definitely don’t mind.” He marked his spot with a bookmark and set it on the coffee table. “Come on, what would you like to watch?”

It took everything she had not to smile at him, hiding it in her food. She couldn’t help it, there was just something about him that was so disarming. “How about an old disney movie?” She finally gave in. “You can never go wrong with one of those.”

He grabbed the remote and turned on the tv, saying, “Always a good choice. How about The Lion King? I haven’t watched that in forever.”

“That works for me,” she said, settling in. They watched the movie in companionable silence, both of them sniffling at the death scene. By the time they reached Scar being eaten by the hyenas, Amelia had passed out in the chair, curled up in a ball. Miles covered her in a blanket before stretching back out on the couch. They may not be cuddling like he wished they were, but he wouldn’t turn down the chance to sleep in the same room as her. That was where Cyrus found them when he came down in the morning, smiling gently at the cute picture they made.

She woke up not long after him, rubbing her eyes and stumbling sleepily into the kitchen. He glanced up at her from the kitchen table, setting his coffee down. “I hope I didn’t wake you up,” he said, watching her wander blindly.

It took a moment for her to recognize that there was somebody talking to her, and she made a noncommittal noise, peeking into cabinets until she found one with cereal in it. She didn’t know why there were coco puffs in the middle of all the healthy choices, but she adored it, dragging it out and going in search of the rest of what she needed for breakfast. Yawning, she dropped into the other kitchen chair, nearly spilling her cereal on the table.

Her eyes were dazed and unfocused as she started eating, and he had to smother a smile. Eventually she seemed to come back to herself, finally noticing him sitting across from her. “I’m guessing you’re not really a morning person,” he said, trying to disguise his amusement.

“Nope,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes again.

“Would you like some coffee?” He asked. “I just made a pot, so it’s still fresh.”

“Please,” she said around a mouthful of cereal. “With lots of milk.” He set a mug in front of her and she sipped on it slowly between bites of breakfast. “Good morning,” she finally said once she felt like a living person again.

No longer hiding his amusement he said, "Good morning. Did you get enough sleep?"

With a groan she asked, "It depends, what time is it?"

He checked the time over the oven. "7:30," he said.

She groaned again, pushing the empty bowl aside, and dropped her head on the table with a thunk. "Then no, I definitely did not. Why the hell are you willingly awake at this god awful hour?"

"This is the time I'm usually up for work," he explained. "So I like to keep to a schedule. The real question is why are you awake?"

"I'm a college student," she grouched. "I have no sleep schedule, my body wakes up whenever it feels like."

"You could always go back to sleep," he pointed out.

She made a non-committal noise before shaking her head. "I'll take a nap in a bit. I can't go back to sleep immediately after waking up. It's a dumb flaw." He chuckled into his coffee and she glared at him. "Don't laugh at my pain, it's impolite."

He held up his hands. "I would never do something so cruel as to laugh at you," he said, clearly laughing at her. She dragged her hand across the table to pinch his arm, making him laugh harder. Before he could retaliate she hid her arms under the table.

"I win," she muttered.

"I could always play dirty," he said, arching an eyebrow at her.

She squinted at him without lifting her head. "That would be unfair."

Without a word he stood up and circled around the table until he stood behind her. She shivered as his hands landed on her shoulders and his scent wafted around her. He was close, so close, his chest nearly pressed against her back. And then he dragged his nose across her throat and scented her. A gasp escaped and her body froze. She could feel the tip of his tongue trail ever so lightly across her scent gland before his teeth nipped her ear. A low whine slipped out before she could stop it and his deep chuckle rolled over her.

"I think I win," he murmured in her ear before straightening up.

"That was super unfair," she muttered, face bright red. It was arguably the most intimate moment she'd ever had with another person. Nobody had ever scented her before, mostly because she'd never been with an alpha.

He tousled her hair before saying, "But fun though."

She grumbled under her breath for a moment, something about stupid alphas and their stupid scents. "You may have won the battle, but the war rages on," she challenged, her words considerably less threatening with her head still flopped onto the table.

"I look forward to your next move then," he teased, returning to his coffee.

A sound interrupted her before she could taunt him, footsteps on the stairs moments before a large body dragged itself into the kitchen. Garrett zoned in on the coffee, shuffling across the room with a dead look on his face.

"Looks like you're not the only person who hates mornings," Cyrus said with a grin.

Without turning Garrett asked, "Hey Cyrus, have you ever been punched in the face?"

"I'm too pretty to punch," he responded and Amelia snorted.

“Nobody’s too pretty to be punched,” she said without lifting her head. Her coffee was getting cold, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Maybe she’d remake it once she felt like moving again.

“Punched many people then, have you Amelia?” Cyrus teased with a grin. That grin fell away with her sleepy affirmation. “You’ve punched somebody?”

She yawned. “Several times,” she confirmed. “I was a scrappy kid. Actually, I think it’s only been a couple years since the last time.”

“Now this is a story I have to hear,” Garrett said, slightly more awake as he leaned against the counter with his coffee.

A deep sigh escaped her. “I was eighteen, freshman, at a college party with a couple friends. It was me, Cece, Lorie, and another omega girl named Myra. We’d all had a lot to drink. It’s the only way I can handle loud places and lots of people.” She attempted to lift her head and then gave up. “About halfway through the party our group got separated. I’m a mother hen, so I tracked everybody down, and found Myra being harassed by a bunch of drunk alphas. She was utterly terrified. I tried to politely steal her away, but they were getting aggressive. One of them grabbed her and yanked her arm so hard she hit her head on the wall, so I spun and punched him. I’m pretty sure I knocked him out.”

“Remind me never to make you mad,” Cyrus laughed. He tsked. “Underage drinking. I didn’t realize you were such a rebel.”

She snorted again and then yawned. “I think I’m gonna go back to sleep,” she said, eyes closing.

“On the table?” Garrett asked, amused. She made a soft noise, already half asleep. “That can’t be comfortable.”

“Shhh shh sh, stop talking, I’m trying to sleep,” she mumbled, making the men chuckle.

Much to her consternation, Garrett scooped her into his arms, ignoring her grumbles. She was deposited back in her chair, blanket tucked around her, and within moments she was fast asleep again. “I think we have our hands full with that one,” he said as he retrieved his coffee from the kitchen.

“But what fun it will be,” Cyrus said with a grin.

"Just don't let her hear you say that, she might punch you," Garrett pointed out.

She woke back up after a couple of hours, her hand flailing blindly for her phone. When it didn't immediately appear, she blinked sleepily around the room. She was in the living room, alone. The events of the morning and the night before slowly trickled in and she groaned softly. She needed her phone. And a shower.

With a yawn she stumbled up the stairs toward her room, trying to get her head sorted. Satisfaction rolled through her at the sound of her locks clicking shut. At least that part of this still existed. Cage or not, those locks were real, and they were on her side of the door.

She went looking for her phone first. Four texts, from her mom, Cece, Tracy, and her doctor’s office. She checked the last one first, finding it just a reminder of an appointment on Wednesday. Her mom’s was just a good morning, I love you. Cece was demanding pictures of her room and wanting to set up another sleepover. Tracy asked how the move went, and if she liked the new house.

That was the one she answered first. No matter how she felt about this, Tracy had clearly put a lot of effort into making this house perfect for her, and she appreciated it. She let her know how much she loved it, how gorgeous it was. Tossing her phone on the bed, she sighed, deciding that the other texts could wait until after her shower.

Despite herself, the sight of the little sharks in the bathroom made her grin again. It was just so ridiculously cute and thoughtful. She felt a little bit better after her shower, throwing on her favorite pajamas and padding down the stairs to see where everybody was. Water running in the boy’s bathroom told her one was in there, though she wasn’t sure who. She heard someone moving around in the office and poked her head in to find Cyrus intensely studying something on his laptop.

He glanced up at the sound of the door opening and smiled at the sight of her. “You look more awake than you did this morning,” he said, closing his laptop.

“A shower helped,” she said, looking around the office curiously as she stepped through the door.

His smile became a grin. “I very much like your t-shirt,” he teased. She glanced down at her sleep shirt, which read ‘I do not bite’, paired with pajama bottoms covered in sharks. Her cheeks flushed and she narrowed her eyes at him, before deciding it would be safer not to respond.

“Where is everyone?” She asked instead.

“Miles is in the shower, I think,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Garrett had to run to work for a bit.”

“On a Sunday?” Cyrus nodded, and she grimaced in response. “Poor guy. I took a Sunday evening class my freshman year, before anybody could teach me otherwise. What are you working on?”

He ran a hand through his hair, and she couldn’t help the sudden desire to follow it with her own. “Answering emails. I don’t technically have to work during the weekends, but I like to keep on top of things.”

“What do you do?” She asked, perching on the edge of the desk.

“I’m a civil rights lawyer,” he said, watching her blink in surprise. “What, weren’t expecting that?”

She shook her head. “I mean, I guess I don’t technically know what I was expecting. That’s cool though. It sounds like an important job.”

“I enjoy what I do,” he said with a shrug. “What were your plans after college, work wise?”

With that question, her mood dropped, a sick feeling twisting in her stomach. “I’m pretty sure that was in my questionnaire,” she said, a harsh edge to her tone. “I should go finish unpacking.”

His hand shot out before she could leave, wrapping firmly around her wrist. “Amelia, if it helps, we weren’t allowed to see it until after the decision was fully made. The only thing we knew about you when we arrived for that date was your name. As far as I know, Tracy wanted to give you ours, but there are rules against it.”

A slight smile tugged at her lips. “Tracy does seem to like being helpful,” she said, trying to hide her amusement, before letting out a sigh. “That does help a little. Thank you for telling me. I’m really not a hundred percent sure what I want to do when I graduate. I know I want to work with young kids, I’m just not sure in what capacity.” His fingers stroked across the scent gland on her wrist and she shivered slightly, trying to hide it from him. The knowing smile on his face made her think maybe she hadn’t hid it well enough.

Well two could play at that game, and she did have a battle to win. Her competitive nature temporarily overcame her anxiety, and she gently extracted her wrist from his hand, saying as a distraction, “Part of me wishes I hadn’t double majored though. Not that I don’t love my classes, but it’s a little overwhelming.” She circled slowly around the desk, eyes on everything but him, trying not to look suspicious though she knew she was failing. Her fingers trailed up his arm and across his shoulder as she came around him, and she felt his body tense.

Exhaling slowly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing herself against his back. His hands came up to grip her wrists, holding her in place as she nosed at the base of his throat. His scent swirled around her, that heady, sharp mix of spices. A growl rumbled through his chest, and she delicately trailed her tongue across his scent gland before nipping it. Not hard, but just hard enough for him to feel her teeth. He gasped, but before he could respond she yanked herself from his grip and disappeared through the office door, chased by his laughter.

“I win,” she shouted back at him, before colliding with Miles on the stairs. His hands came down on her shoulders to keep her from tumbling to the floor.

“What did you win?” He asked, confused.

Her cheeks flushed even as she grinned. “Cyrus and I are in an ongoing war I started on our date,” she said.

“You started? I have a hard time believing that, you’re just so cute and sweet,” he teased, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing, making her laugh.

“I heard that,” Cyrus yelled in response. She heard him leaving the office and pulled away from Miles, racing up the stairs towards her room to escape retribution. Part of her was nervous about what his next move would be after that little stunt. But another part of her was excited. There had been something thrilling about touching him like that, and she could still smell his scent on her shirt from rubbing against him.

Feeling in high spirits, she spent the next couple hours actually unpacking, hanging her clothes in the over large closet. Sitting on the floor, she started going through the box that had her sentimental items. There was a soft knock at her door as she carefully unwrapped one of her picture frames. “Come in,” she called, recognizing that knock.

She glanced up, smiling at Miles who sat on the floor facing her. “I was going to ask if you’d like to watch a movie after dinner. I think it would be fun for the four of us to watch something together,” he said, and she nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds like fun,” she said, setting the picture to the side before retrieving the other one from the box.

He picked it up, holding it carefully. “Is this your mom?” He asked. When she nodded, he said, “You two look alike.”

“We get told that a lot,” she laughed. “That was actually one of the first things Cyrus said when he met her.” She handed him the second frame, a picture of her and her friends standing on a trail, soaked and muddy. “That’s me and my friends. The redhead is Cece. The blonde is Lorie. We took that the summer between our freshman and sophomore years. We went hiking, but it started raining. Lorie tripped and slid down a muddy hill, dragging us with her.”

“Do you guys go hiking a lot?” He asked, setting the photo down next to the first.

She nodded. “Well, me and Cece did. We’re both outdoors people. Lorie doesn’t like getting dirty and sweaty.” She gathered up both pictures and stood, arranging them on one of her nightstands, setting her plushy shark and a small tiger’s eye stone in between them. A wave of nostalgia and sadness rolled over her.

Scenting the change in her mood, Miles wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned back against him, chasing the comfort of his hold. “We’ll all have to go hiking this summer. I can’t see Cyrus joining us, but Garrett might. And it would be cool to do something like that with your friends.”

A smile tugged at her lips, and she turned her head slightly to rub against his shoulder. She wasn’t sure how he managed to put her so at ease, but she didn’t mind. “Hey, what are you doing Wednesday around noon?”

“Probably being lazy,” he said, propping his chin on the top of her head. “I don’t work Wednesday. Why, what’s up?”

“I have a doctor’s appointment,” she answered. “Normally I would walk, but it's too far now and I don’t have a car. Would you mind taking me?”

She could practically hear the grin in his voice as he said, “I wouldn’t mind at all. I’m happy you asked me, I like being helpful. And you get to ride in the hamster car again.” She laughed at that, curling her hands around his where they rested on her stomach. “What would you like for dinner? I was thinking maybe spaghetti and salads.”

“That sounds good to me,” she said, feeling a little lost as he pulled away. “Do you need any help?”

“I don’t, but I would love some company,” he said as she turned to face him. “If you’re done unpacking.”

“I’m not, but I’m definitely up for taking a break,” she told him, reaching for his hand without thought. He threaded his fingers through hers, and the smile he gave her was brilliant, sending butterflies fluttering through her stomach.


	5. it takes control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to pretend it's Friday now even though it's not because I'm an impatient little shit. I would also like to take this opportunity to point out for no particular reason that I have Alpha/Alpha tagged. Also also, thank y'all so much for all the great comments. If I haven't responded to yours, it's because I got overwhelmed, or I wasn't sure how to do so without spoiling anything.

She perched on the counter, watching as he cheerfully puttered around in the kitchen. “You know, I’m really glad you seem to like cooking so much,” she said, lips tilted up in a smile. “I’ve never been very good at it, I don’t know why.” The smile dropped away, and a bitter tinge sharpened her scent for a moment. “I know, that’s not very omega of me. We’re supposed to be natural home makers and all of that.”

He smiled at her over his shoulder and the smell of honey in the air thickened, loosening her tension. “You don’t have to be domestic to be a homemaker,” he responded, setting down his spatula and crossing the kitchen towards her. “Nor do you have to be an omega to be one.” His fingers slid gently through her hair, cupping her head and tilting it up towards him. “And I’d argue that you’re already doing a fantastic job of making this a home, just by being you.”

His words brought a flush to her cheeks, and she smiled shyly at him. Before she could respond, there was a chuckle from the doorway, and they glanced over to see Cyrus with an amused smile. “I can’t disagree with him,” he said, “but sweetheart, salt is supposed to go _in_ the food.” She sputtered, glaring at him for a moment before laughing, her brief bitterness gone in a sea of warmth.

Miles slid his lips across her still warm cheek, and she felt a brief flash of disappointment that he hadn’t kissed her, before moving back across the kitchen to finish dinner. “It was actually my first boyfriend who got me into cooking,” he said, and both Amelia and Cyrus leaned forward slightly, their attention caught. “I was fourteen and just completely floundering. He introduced me to cooking and it was like the whole world opened up in front of me.” He glanced over his shoulder to see them watching him intently and the slightest flush crossed his face. “What?”

“Nothing,” Amelia said, the first one to shake it off. “It’s just nice knowing I’m not the only queer person in the house.” She received a brilliant smile for that, returning it with one of her own. “I made Cyrus spit water out on our first date by telling him I was bi while he was trying to take a drink.”

“Specifically, she told me it was Shego who made her realize she was bi,” Cyrus added, trying not to look amused at the memory. “It’s alright though, I got you back with the ice cream.”

Chuckling as he moved food off the stove, Miles said, “So that’s what you meant by an ongoing war you started on your date. You two are just going back and forth pranking each other?”

“Something like that,” he murmured, eyes briefly landing on Amelia’s throat before a sly smile appeared. She flushed, remembering them teasing each other, happy Miles hadn’t turned around to see how red her face had become. “We should watch a movie together after dinner,” he continued before the silence could stretch too long, and she let out a breath.

The sound of the front door closing interrupted them before they could explore the idea further, and Amelia glanced over to see Garrett shuffling into the kitchen looking tired. He made a bee line for her, ruffling her short hair and saying, “Did somebody say movie? That sounds fucking excellent to me.” She resisted the desire to nuzzle into him, wanting to offer comfort but feeling awkward as it descended upon her again that she didn’t truly know these men. Just because they seemed genuine and sweet now, didn’t mean that couldn’t change later.

She wandered into the living room after dinner with a bucket of popcorn to see the guys had already picked their seats. Miles and Cyrus in the two chairs with Garrett stretched across the couch. She glowered at the three of them, knowing it had been a purposeful arrangement, forcing her to curl up with somebody if she didn’t want to sit on the floor. The obvious choice was Garrett, as it would be slightly more comfortable to share the couch than to share either of the chairs.

“Move your feet,” she said as she moved around the couch. There was a grin on his face as he sat up, feet falling to the floor. She dropped down onto the other side of the couch, as far away from him as possible, holding the bowl of popcorn on her lap like a shield. “So what should we watch?”

“Action.”  
“Comedy.”  
“Horror.”

It was hard to keep from laughing at their wildly varying answers, and Cyrus grinned as he turned towards her. “Looks like you’re the deciding vote sweetheart,” he said.

“How about a comedy,” she responded, and Garrett gave a victorious whoop from beside her. She cut her eyes over to Miles, arching an eyebrow. “Really?” She asked him. “Horror?”

Halfway through the movie she set the empty bowl of popcorn down on the floor, contentedly settling into her half of the couch. Before she could get totally comfortable, an arm wrapped around her waist and dragged her across the couch into a broad chest. Situating her in his lap despite her grumbles, Garrett stretched his legs back out across the couch. It only took a moment of having her head tucked beneath his chin to make her relax, his scent wrapping around her like a warm blanket.

She was asleep by the end of the movie, Garrett’s fingers threading through her hair. She was a comfortable weight against him, and he felt more content that he ever had in his life.

"Do you think we should take her to bed?" Cyrus asked as he stood and stretched, turning off the TV.

"If you move her you'll go to bed with a broken nose," he growled, quieting when she shifted slightly in her sleep. The men chuckled and headed upstairs to bed, leaving him alone with their omega. Her brow furrowed in her sleep and he purred softly, chest rumbling and soothing whatever was disturbing her. He fell asleep like that and had trouble getting up in the morning, shifting her as carefully as possible to keep from waking her up.

The next two days passed easily, spending time with Miles in the morning, and hanging out with Garrett and Cyrus in the evening. It was a comfortable pattern to settle into as she got used to the house. Tuesday she Skyped with her friends while the guys were gone, giving them a video tour of the house, amused with their oohs and ahhs.

Wednesday came soon enough and at 11:30 she was scooting into Miles' Soul, smiling at him as they headed off to her doctor. He leaned over to brush a kiss across her cheek before she got out, saying, "I'll wait out here for you."

She didn't wait long in the waiting room, a benefit of being early. Twenty minutes later she was out, sliding back into his car. Her scent was thick and sour with distress, instantly putting him on edge. "Amelia, what happened? Is everything okay?" He asked, radiating concern.

Her face was blank though her voice shook as she said, "They won't renew my suppressants." She swallowed hard, before continuing, “My doctor told me that apparently there was a new study that says suppressants negatively affect omegas under forty. So they are stopping all prescriptions. When I run out of pills, that’s it.”

“How much do you have left?” He asked softly.

“Three weeks,” she said, her hands trembling slightly in her lap. He reached out and took them in one of his, threading their fingers together and squeezing.

“And then you’ll have a heat,” he responded, and she nodded mutely. “How long has it been since your last one?” She pulled her hands free from his, wrapping her arms around her stomach as if she were trying to protect herself. Her eyes refused to meet his, which made his heart clench with anxiety. “Amelia, what aren’t you telling me?”

Her whole body was shaking now, and her voice was small when she said, “It’s been five years.”

There was a silence in the car, his body stilling. When he spoke again, his voice was tense. “It’s been five years since your last heat?” Her head jerked in a slight nod. “You know you’re supposed to go off your suppressants once a year to have one right?” Another jerky nod. “And you just… didn’t. For five years.” His scent spiked and she flinched at the thick anger in it. “You realize how fucking dangerous that is? Not having heats can cause permanent damage. This isn’t some sort of secret. And you just… decided to ignore it.”

She didn’t respond, and his hands clenched. “We’ll talk at home,” he finally said, throwing the car into drive. They rode home in tense silence, and she hid up in her room the moment they reached the house. She spent the next several hours pacing anxiously, listening for the others to get home, knowing this was going to blow up.

“Amelia,” she heard Miles snap from the second floor. “Come down to the kitchen. Now.” She flinched at the sharpness of his tone. It wasn’t something she’d ever heard from him before. To be honest, she hadn’t been certain he even had a temper. She slunk down the stairs and was immediately assaulted by the combined scents of the men. They were soaked in worry and anger, so thick she could almost taste it in the air.

Shuffling into the kitchen, she tried not to look at any of them, arms wrapped tight around her stomach. “Tell them about your doctor’s appointment,” he ordered, and she flinched again.

“They won’t renew my suppressants,” she said quietly. The worry shifted to concern and she shuddered.

“I’m sorry sweetheart,” Cyrus said. “Did they tell you why?”

She nodded. “They said there’s a new study that says suppressants negatively affect omegas under forty. So they are stopping all prescriptions. When I run out of pills, that’s it. I can’t get more.”

There were sounds of concern, and then Miles said, “Now tell them the rest of it.” Amelia looked up at him beseechingly, begging him silently not to make her do this. His hard glare made her tremble.

A deep shuddering breath, and then she just barely managed to get out, “When I run out, I’ll go into heat. And it’s been- it’s been five years since my last one.”

A shocked silence followed her words, and the scents in the room shifted. “What do you mean it’s been five years?” Cyrus asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“My last heat was at sixteen,” she whispered.

“Why?” He snapped. “Why has it been so long? You’re supposed to come off your suppressants once a year for-” His voice cut off and his eyes widened as realization hit him. “You didn’t do it. You never went off your suppressants.” She nodded her affirmation. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“And why the hell wouldn’t you tell us this?” Miles added.

Anger spiked through her anxiety. “Why would I?” She snapped. “I don’t really know you guys. We’ve been living together less than a week. It’s none of your business and you don’t have any ri-” Her words came to a halt as she realized that finishing that sentence would only make things worse.

It was too late. In half a moment Miles was there, crowding into her space, looming over her. “You want to finish that omega?” He asked quietly. The use of her designation made her body shake. It was the first time any of them had used it, and hearing it with such anger made her instincts attempt a takeover. You’ve displeased alpha, it whispered, apologize, make it right.

She swallowed, fighting against it. “You don’t have any right to tell me what to do with my body,” she finished finally. She wanted to sound angry, defiant, but there was no fight in it.

He stepped closer, body almost brushing against hers, hand wrapping around her throat, thumb under her chin to keep her face tilted towards his. “I think you forget who we are,” he said, his voice quiet and dangerous. “We are your alphas. That makes everything in your life our business. Do you understand that omega?” His hand slid down, thumb pressing against her scent gland, making her whine. “I said, do you understand?”

“Yes alpha,” she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

His hand dropped away and he stepped back. “I’m going for a walk,” he snapped, spinning and stalking out of the kitchen. A moment later they heard the front door slam, making her flinch again. She heard another set of footsteps leave the room, and when she glanced up she found herself alone with Garrett, who had an intense look on his face. She realized that he hadn’t said anything through their confrontation.

“You’re mad at me too,” she whispered.

“Come here,” he said, holding his arms out. Without hesitation she launched herself into them, clinging tight to his waist as she broke down into tears finally. He held her close, one hand stroking her back while the other ran soothingly through her hair. “I am mad,” he said finally. “But I’m more worried than anything. Going that long without a heat is dangerous. Why did you do it?”

She sniffled and it took a moment for her to compose herself enough to say, “At first it was because of my mom. She’s a beta, and I knew they worried her. So I figured I’d hold off until I graduated high school, so I wouldn’t stress her out.” She buried her face into his chest. “And then I started college. And I told myself I’d wait just a little longer. Just long enough to settle into my dorm, to figure out what my options were. But the longer I went, the more scared I was about what would happen when I came off.” Shudders of fear rolled through her. “So I just never stopped. I knew it was dangerous, but I was so afraid.”

His chin propped on the top of her head as he curled around her. “I understand sweetheart,” he murmured. “I get it. And I understand why you didn’t tell us. We don’t really know each other very well.” A low purr rumbled in his chest, soothing and comforting, and slowly her body started to settle. “We have three weeks until it happens. We’ll figure it out, do some research about what might happen. We’re here for you, we just want to see you safe and healthy, okay?” She nodded mutely. “Miles will calm down,” he added. “I think he’s scared for you, and that came out as anger. He’ll calm down and you can talk it out.”

Her hands clenched around his shirt, and she shook with fresh tears. The sight of Miles’ anger had been an almost physical pain. And the way he’d used her designation hurt. “I’m surprised,” she finally managed after calming down a little. “I thought you would be the one to lose your temper.”

A chuckle rumbled against her cheek. “I look big and scary, but I really don’t get angry very often,” he said, rubbing her back. “I learned really young that angry alphas tended to scare people too much to be effective, so I trained myself to stay calm.” He squeezed her tighter, feeling her body still shaking. “Would scenting each other help calm you down?” He asked quietly. There was a slight hesitation, and then she nodded. His arms shifted, lifting her easily off the ground and setting her on the counter so they’d be closer to eye level.

Her head lifted, and he cupped her tear stained face, stroking his thumbs over her cheeks. “It’s going to be okay,” he promised, before sliding his hand through her hair and pulling her face towards the crook of his neck. She nuzzled her nose against his scent gland, sighing softly as his earthy scent wrapped around her. He copied the gesture, and the shaking in her body slowly settled. “There we go,” he murmured, letting her body settle into hers. “Do you want me to take you to your room? Maybe take a nap?” He asked, and she nodded.

He scooped her easily into his arms, carrying her up the two flights of stairs to settle her gently in bed. Before he could pull away, one of her hands curled around his. “Will you stay?” She asked weakly. “Just- just until I fall asleep.” He smiled gently, stretching across the bed and pulling her to him. He felt more than heard her sigh, and she was asleep in minutes.

\---

It was late evening when she finally woke up, eyes puffy from crying. A quick shower made her feel a little better, and she pulled on pajamas before clambering back into bed. Before she could settle back in, there was a knock on her door, and a quiet voice calling, “Amelia? Can I come up?”

“Okay,” she said, her voice rough, just barely loud enough to travel down the stairs and through the door. After a moment she heard it open, and footsteps coming up the stairs. Miles hesitated at the top before crossing the room towards her. He perched on the side of the bed, hands clenched in his lap.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry for talking to you that way. And for using your designation like that. I should have talked to you instead of losing my temper.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I- I understand. You were worried. And I know what I did was stupid,” she said, wanting to reach out for him but unsure if he wanted her to.

“Garrett told me why you did it,” he responded. “And I understand, I really do. And I understand why you didn’t tell us before this.” He turned towards her, hand reaching out before hesitating. She rose up onto her knees and leaned closer, curling her own hand around it and pulling it towards her so she could press it against her cheek. “I really am sorry,” he murmured.

“I’m sorry too,” she said, feeling tears pool in her eyes again. His arms finally closed around her, pulling her into his lap.

They sat that way for a while before he said, “We’ll figure this out. We’ll figure out what our options are. And no matter what, we’re here for you. I promise.” She nodded, relief washing over her now that they’d made up.

“Miles?” She said, and he hummed. “Will you- will you use my designation occasionally? I think- I think I need to hear it. When you’re not angry, I mean. Having that in my head- that’s the only time one of you has used it, so my only experience is that. And it’s making me really anxious. On an instinctual level.”

“Of course,” he murmured, nuzzling the top of her head. “Of course. Anything to make you comfortable again.” He stroked his fingers soothingly through her short hair. “Are you hungry? It’s a little after dinner time, but I don’t think anyone has eaten yet.” She nodded faintly. “What would you like?”

There was a sniffle, and then she asked, “I know you’re big on cooking, but can we order chinese food?”

He chuckled softly, and the sound made a watery smile appear on her face. “I think we can do that.” He hesitated, before saying more seriously, “You’re going to have to talk to Cyrus. He’s still angry, and he didn't get a chance to talk to Garrett.”

“Is he still here?” She asked, voice trembling with nerves.

“He’s in the office,” he said, nodding. “Come on, let’s go downstairs. You can talk while I order food.” She followed him downstairs, hand clinging tightly to his. They separated at the bottom so that she could approach the office alone.

Anxiety made her nauseous as she knocked on the office door, waiting until she heard a tense, "Come in," before cautiously stepping inside. Her eyes were turned down as she closed the door and leaned back against it facing him. "Come here. Stand in front of the desk." She crossed the room with unsteady steps until she stood in front of it. "Look at me. Now." Her eyes turned up reluctantly to meet his. They were dark, serious, and they made a shudder roll down her spine.

"I'm angry," he said, and she had to bite back a whimper. You've angered your alpha, that voice in her head whispered. Show him you're a good omega. She shut it down, though it was difficult. "Why did you do it?"

"Partly because I was scared," she managed, voice quiet and a borderline whimper. "It started because I didn't want to cause trouble for my mom. And then I wanted to figure out college for a bit, because it was already overwhelming. And the longer I went, the more scared I was about going off of them. I knew it would be bad, and I was just- I was scared."

His voice was harsh as he said, "There are resources for omegas who need to come off suppressants after being on them too long. Resources that would have no consequences, people who would take care of you." Her shoulders hunched and her head dropped until he snapped, "Eyes on me omega." This time a whimper did escape, her eyes snapping back up to his. His gaze searched her face and then his chair pushed back. "Come around the desk," he ordered, and she did so slowly. "Hop up and sit on the edge."

"Yes alpha," she whispered, hopping up carefully on the edge. His chair rolled back forward, hands coming up to separate her legs so he could position himself between them. For once they were on eye level with each other.

"Fear is a strong motivator," he said. His voice was serious but no longer sharp. "Do you know how I know?" She shook her head. "I know because I'm scared right now. I'm scared that this is going to hurt you. I'm scared that we won't be able to help, that you could end up in the hospital. And most of all I'm scared that I don't trust you right now, and I never want to feel that way."

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, voice thick with the tears she was trying to suppress. Bad omega, you're a bad omega. "I'm so sorry."

His hands finally curled around her face, leaning forward to press his forehead to hers. "It's okay. You're a good omega, you just made a mistake," he said as if he could see the thoughts rolling around in her mind. She shook her head and his grip tightened. "You are a good omega," he repeated. "Tell me what's happening in your head."

"I'm a bad omega," she whispered. "My instincts are hard to ignore, and they keep repeating it. They keep telling me I fucked up for making you guys angry. That I'm a bad omega," she repeated, the dam breaking and tears spilling heavily down her face.

"Look at me," he said quietly, pulling away, and her eyes turned back up. "You are a good omega. We all know it. Making a mistake doesn't change that." She nodded weakly, and he leaned forward, lips sliding across hers. She shivered and he did it again, firmer this time. Her hands came up to cling to his shoulders while his fingers threaded through her hair, holding her still. Grip tightening, his next kiss was firm and he didn't pull away. A gasp escaped her, and he took the chance to deepen the kiss. All too soon he broke it, leaning his forehead back against hers. "It's going to be okay," he murmured.

"Do you promise?" She whispered, scent flaring with hope.

"I promise sweetheart," he responded. "No more secrets." His hands didn't drop away but he leaned back slightly, eyes serious as they met hers. She nodded, tears finally slowing. "Are you hungry?"

Another nod as she said, "Miles is ordering Chinese food right now."

A grin crossed his face. "That sounds really good." Another kiss, and then he rolled his chair back, hands sliding down to take hers. "Come on. We can curl up and watch something while we eat." She followed him out, feeling a little bit lighter. Good omega.


	6. take me back to the feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this is really incredibly late, and I'm so sorry, a lot has been going on the past couple months. I also apologize that despite being so late, this is a little short and doesn't have a whole lot of plot, but I'm getting set up! The next couple chapters are gonna have a lot happen, and there was stuff that needed to be done first, so I hope it's okay despite the excess of fluff. Also, somebody asked about Garrett's coloring because for some reason I never described him fully, and forgot until I was finished this chapter and then was too lazy to try and figure out how to add it, so I'll just tell y'all, he's got dark brown hair and eyes and a tan from lots of time in the sun. I'm not sure it's mentioned, but Amelia has chestnut hair and hazel eyes.
> 
> To make up for how long this chapter took, please accept this mockup I made of a book cover for this story in tribute. It'll be at the bottom. If anyone's interested, I also have a pinterest board of all my character inspiration pictures as well as some other odds and ends. Thank you for all the lovely comments, I have treasured each and every one. <3

She woke up the next day to red, puffy eyes and a text from Tracy, asking how things were going. After showering and brushing her teeth, she eyed the phone, wondering how much to tell the woman. How much she _should_ tell her.

'We had some trouble yesterday.' She finally decided on vague honesty. Before she could even set the phone down, it was ringing, Tracy's name flashing on the screen.

"What happened?" Tracy asked before she could even say hi, her tone unusually serious.

Amelia sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "I had a bad doctor's appointment. I found out that they won't refill my suppressants, so when I run out in three weeks, I'll go into heat, and-" She swallowed and hesitated, worried about her response, before continuing, "And it's been five years since I had my last one. Which I know was stupid and dangerous, but, I just," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Anyways, I had to tell the guys, and they didn't really take it well. I mean, Cyrus and Miles didn't. They were really mad. We made up, I think, but I still feel kind of off about it." She wasn't sure why she was spilling everything, only that Tracy was strangely easy to talk to and it felt good to get it out.

There was silence for a moment, before Tracy said, "Okay. I'm going to do some research, see what your options are for going into heat. I might have resources the general public doesn't." The lack of any tinge of judgement over her mistake in the social worker's voice made Amelia almost tear up again. "My biggest question is, did any of them hurt you in any way?"

"No!" She replied quickly. "No, no, nothing like that. I just got scolded. Which I guess I deserved. And they are my alphas after all." A grimace twisted her lips.

"Amelia, just because they are your alphas in this program doesn't make them your mates," Tracy responded gently. "And even if they were, you're still your own person, and you're still protected. Your designations don't mean they control you." It was a long moment before Amelia could respond, stunned into silence. While the words made sense coming from Tracy as far as she knew her as a person, they made no sense coming from a government worker. Her alphas didn't control her? But wasn't that the point?

She swallowed before saying with a trembling voice, "Thank you."

"Of course," the woman said. "I'm your social worker, I'm here to take care of you. That includes your health and safety. If you ever, and I mean _ever_ feel unsafe with any of them, you tell me immediately, okay? And I don't just mean physically."

Amelia had to tilt her head back to try and stop the tears that wanted to spill over. "I will. Thank you," she repeated.

"Good. Now, I'm going to go do some research and I have some interviews today, so I'll get back to you in a day or two with your options, alright?" Tracy's voice was bubbly once more, making Amelia smile. 

"Sounds good," she answered. "Have a good day." Tracy hung up without saying goodbye, but she was used to that by this point. Dropping the phone onto the bed beside her, she flopped backwards, thinking about their conversation. She was right, they weren't her mates, not until their marks were on her, which meant their control over her was limited. And they couldn't mate her without explicit permission, not that she thought any of them would stoop to that anyways. She may not know them well yet, but she knew them well enough for that.

A knock on her door brought her up with a groan, and she checked to make sure her pajamas were decent before heading down the stairs. She opened the door to a bashful looking Miles, who offered her a shy smile before saying, "I heard your voice so I figured you were awake. I made breakfast if you're hungry."

With that, her apprehension over yesterday faded temporarily, unable to hold on to it in the face of how eager Miles seemed to make things right. She offered him a smile in return, saying, “I’m always hungry for your food. You’re gonna end up making me fat.” He laughed as they headed to the kitchen together, gathering plates of food and settling side by side in the living room.

For a while they simply ate in silence, watching a Spongebob rerun, before Miles glanced over at her. “Can we talk about yesterday?” He asked hesitantly. She froze, eyes fixed on her plate before meeting his gaze, wary and uncertain. “Not about your doctor’s appointment, but my reaction to it. I just- I feel like I owe you an explanation.”

Her brow furrowed, and she set her plate down on the coffee table. “Like you said, you were scared for me, and it came out as anger,” she responded slowly, turning to face him. The look on his face was so lost that she found herself reaching out without thought, curling her hands around his cheeks. “Hey what’s wrong?” She asked.

He took in a slow, steadying breath. “You may have noticed that I’m not exactly like other alphas,” he started, a pain in his voice that made her shift closer. “I’m softer, smaller, not really as aggressive.” He stopped suddenly, as if uncertain of how to continue, before nuzzling into her palm, one of his hands coming to rest on her side. “I’m the youngest of four boys,” he finally continued. “And my brothers are real alphas. My parents valued that, put emphasis on how good it was. And then along I came, small and beta like, and-”

“They didn’t treat you right,” she added quietly when he broke off.

“I didn’t exactly live up to expectations.” His voice was wry. “My whole life, I’ve never really been enough.” So much made sense with that, how oddly uncertain he’d always been, his shyness, his need for validation. “My alpha instincts are either weak or just well buried. Which has its upsides. I’m typically more level headed, I don’t deal with alpha rage over everything, I’m not very competitive. The downside is that when they do get riled, I don’t really have a lot of experience with controlling them.”

“So you explode,” she finished, and he nodded. “And then you’re reasonable again when you calm down.” He sighed, his eyes closed, and she shifted around to straddle his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning into him. “I understand. I’m not really very close to my omega instincts, so they’re really overpowering when they get brought to the surface.”

His arms wrapped around her waist, and he buried his face in her shoulder, his body tensing up slightly. “That’s why I reacted so strongly yesterday,” he said, sounding as if on the verge of tears. “But not why your news about your heat was what riled me up.” She ran her fingers soothingly through his hair, brow furrowing once more. “Of my three older brothers, two are alphas. And the third was an omega.”

Was.

All air left the room, and it felt like she’d been punched, her body stilling as he continued. “As poorly as my family treated me, they were worse to him. They didn’t even acknowledge him half the time, too ashamed of the one omega boy in their pack of alphas. He went on suppressants at twelve, before he even had his first heat, hoping maybe he could pass as at least a beta.” His grip on her was so hard it almost hurt, but she couldn’t find it in herself to say anything, the weight in her stomach growing heavier with each word.

“He got sick when he was twenty two,” he continued. “And had to go off his suppressants for the first time. His body just… shut down. And he died. I was eighteen.” She could feel wetness on her shoulder, and tears of her own started to pool as they clung to each other. “That was the last contact I had with any of my family. I couldn’t look at them every day, knowing they were the reason he was dead. And so when you told me it had been five years- I just- All I could think of was him.”

“I’m so sorry Miles,” she whispered, fingers stroking soothingly through his hair as she felt his body shaking against hers. “I’m going to be okay, I promise. I talked to Tracy earlier, she’s going to do some research. Between her and the three of you taking care of me, I’m going to be fine. We’ll get through this together.”

He nodded against her shoulder, hands clinging almost painfully to her sides before he sucked in a breath and started to settle. His head came up, his watery eyes meeting hers, and she offered a shaky smile. He returned it with one of his own, and unable to help herself, she leaned forward to kiss him. After a moment she pulled back, to see a flush had formed in his still damp cheeks. His eyes were wide and startled, and unease churned in her gut. Had that been too forward? Was he upset?

“Sorry,” she muttered, a blush of her own heating her cheeks. “I-” Before she could ramble off an apology, his hands flew up, capturing her face between them and dragging her back to his lips. She sighed into his kiss, heart fluttering, unable to stop the deep contentment that settled in her bones. All sense of time disappeared, surrounded by his honey warm scent, soft lips moving across hers with a gentleness she’d never experienced. His kisses were so different from Garrett’s, from Cyrus’, but no less intoxicating. She was breathless by the time they stopped, sharing a shy smile.

He rubbed his nose against hers and she laughed, remembering their date when he’d kissed it. “Miles,” she said, “I’m really glad you were picked as one of my alphas.” There were so many things about this she hated, that scared her, made her feel out of control, but this was one thing she was certain of. Miles was a definite positive, and his glowing smile warmed her from the inside out.

They stayed that way for the rest of the morning, curled up together watching cartoons and occasionally sharing shy kisses. Eventually he left for work, leaving her flopped across the couch and staring up at the ceiling, contemplating her situation. It was at that time that her phone rang from the floor, Girl in Red echoing through the room.

“Hey Lorie,” she said as she answered, recognizing the ring tone.

 _“My spidey sense was tingling!”_ Lorie shouted from the other side, making Amelia wince. _“What’s wrong? Who do I need to beat up? I swear to fuck if any of those guys has hurt you I’m gonna beat their asses.”_ The mental image of Lorie squaring off against any of the alphas made her laugh, dusting the shadows from her mind.

“I’m _fine_ ,” she reassured her friend. “Some stuff happened, we fought a little, but we made up and we’re working it out.”

There was a scuffle on the other end, and then Cece’s voice saying, _“That is incredibly unreassuring, I hope you know that. This calls for a sleepover.”_ She could hear Lorie agreeing in the background, and more words she couldn’t quite make out. _“You’re right, this calls for a sleepover and some major girl time. Okay, I’ve made a decision. We’re both free this weekend. We’ll come stay the night Friday, talk about this_ stuff _, and then Saturday we’ll go out dancing. I feel like you could probably use some time out of the house.”_

“I dunno Cece,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Friday is tomorrow, that’s not a lot of notice. I’d have to talk to the guys, see if they’re cool with it and-”

 _“No, no arguing,”_ Cece interrupted with a no nonsense tone. _“We’re coming, this is happening. If they don’t like it, tough. We’re your best friends, they’ll just have to deal. Love you babe, see you tomorrow!”_ Before she could respond the line went dead, and that was that. Nothing short of specifically ordering them not to come would stop them, and honestly she wasn’t even certain of that. It would be nice to see them though, all she could hope was that they wouldn’t be too angry about her mistake with the suppressants. And that they’d get along with her alphas.

\---

She spent several hours wandering the house, growing more restless by the minute. It wasn’t like her to have so much downtime. She needed to contact her professors, find out what needed to be done about her classes. Would she be able to go back to them? As far as she knew, the omega scholarships were still in place, and there’d been nothing explicitly saying she couldn’t. Unless any of her alphas had a problem with it. She couldn’t see that being a thing, but it still hung over her mind.

It wasn’t the only thing hanging over her mind. While she was pretty sure her friends and her alphas would get along, there was still that fear that something would go wrong. That the whole thing would be a disaster. Or that the guys would be mad about being given such little notice or choice in the matter. This was after all their home too that was about to be invaded, and Lorie and Cece could sometimes be a little much.

She agonized about it for a while, hanging half off the couch and staring at the ceiling, bored with nothing to do but worry, before hearing the front door finally open. Cyrus’ scent flooded the house, thick and heavy and stressed, setting her nerves on edge. “Amelia,” he called from the front hall, an edge to his voice. He was still mad. She knew there might still be some tension, but she certainly hadn’t expected this much.

Swallowing hard, she slid off the couch and forced herself to stay calm, knowing her own scent was probably spiking. “Yes?” She asked, peeking through the living room doorway. His shoulders were tense, whole body radiating his unhappiness as he shrugged off his coat and hung it up before holding out his arms to her. There was a moment of hesitation before she emerged from the room and approached him.

The moment she was within reach, his arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a crushing hug against his chest. A huff of air escaped her lungs at the force of his grip, and after a moment she returned it, feeling a slight trembling in his body now that she was pressed against it. “Everything okay?” She asked hesitantly, shifting her face so she could look up at him.

For a moment his grip tightened even more, and he pressed his cheek against her hair. “Yeah,” he finally said, loosening up a little, but not releasing her. “It was a bad day at work.” It must have been, for him to have come home so worked up. A little thrill of pleasure raced up her spine before she could stop it at the knowledge that he’d sought comfort from her.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” She asked, running her hands soothingly up and down his back, frowning slightly when he shook his head. “Okay, how about we move to the couch? You can hold me there and we can be more comfortable?” That one received a nod, and before she could move, he’d swept her up into his arms.

For the second time that day she found herself curled up in the lap of a distressed alpha, one hand stroking the back of his neck while the fingers of her other hand slid through his hair. Now that she knew he wasn’t mad at her, she could feel herself settling, and focused on making sure her scent would be soothing. Little by little she felt the man calm, his body loosening, hands stroking her sides instead of gripping tightly.

“Thank you,” he said with a sigh, pulling back enough to nuzzle her cheek. “I’m sorry. I’m not normally-” He broke off with a grimace, and she took the opportunity to kiss the expression away despite the flush that formed in her cheeks.

“It’s okay,” she told him, offering a shy smile. “I’m glad I was able to help. I was worried you were mad at me at first.”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “Not at all. To be honest, I was a little concerned that you’d be mad at me about last night.”

“I’m not,” she reassured him, contentment settling into her bones now that she’d been reassured by both men. “Though we should probably all talk a little about communication and stuff. We’re in this together now, and I know that rationally.”

“You’re not used to relying on other people,” he said, running his fingers through her hair, and she nodded. “It’ll take getting used to, but our job is to help take care of you now, to relieve some of that burden.”

She gave him another shy smile, saying, “I’m just glad I can help take care of you too.” His smile made butterflies appear in her stomach. There was no resistance as his hands curled around her face and pulled her into another kiss, this one longer and deeper. She sank into him, thrilled to kiss him again without the fight hanging over them. It made her head spin, her blood heat in a way she’d never experienced. She’d liked kissing before, but kissing these men was _different_ . Was it because they were alphas? Or because they were _them_?

“Now that’s a lovely sight to come home to,” came a deep voice from the doorway, making them both jump and pull back, looking over to see Garrett watching them with a smile on his face. “Don’t stop on my account,” he added, making Amelia blush.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, shifting awkwardly on Cyrus’ lap. His hands had dropped to her hips and they squeezed slightly, though she couldn’t tell if he was trying to be reassuring or keep her from getting up. It felt a little awkward though, getting caught making out with one alpha by another one. She’d never had to deal with being involved with more than one person before, let alone multiple alphas, who were not well known for being the sharing type.

She jumped again as a hand landed on her knee, and looked up to see Garrett had dropped down onto the couch next to them. “You don’t have to be sorry sweetheart,” he responded. “Trust me, I definitely didn’t mind.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, fidgeting anxiously until he caught her hands in his free one and stilled them. “I just- I know alphas can be… jealous, I guess.”

A look was exchanged between the two men that she couldn’t interpret, before Garrett said, “We should tell you a little bit about the interview process for alphas.” Brow furrowing, she nodded, and he continued, “One of the things they check for is past history of jealousy and possessiveness, as well as aggression levels around other alphas. They’re really thorough with it, because they need every alpha to accept that they have to share their role with two other people. They also watch for alphas with the ability to pack bond, and ones who’ve grown up with other alphas.” He smiled, squeezing her hands. “That’s part of how I got through, having an alpha sister I took care of. I also just don’t experience jealousy very strongly.”

Cyrus nudged her, turning her attention back to him as he said, “For me it’s because I have history dating and living with other alphas, so they knew my aggression was low and I could share space.”

She looked back and forth between them for a moment, before nodding. “Okay, that makes sense. So it really doesn’t bother you, seeing me with Cyrus?”

His grin was dazzling and warm, and her breath caught in her throat. “Not in the slightest. The only thing that would bother me is if you didn’t give me a kiss next.” That startled a laugh from her, and she freed her hands to pull him closer so she could kiss him gently, feeling only slightly awkward that she was sitting on Cyrus’ lap while doing so. “Now _that’s_ the best thing to come home to,” he said when the kiss broke, making her laugh again.

For a moment everything glowed, and she allowed herself to bask in it before remembering the phone call she’d gotten from Lorie earlier. “I have a favor to ask you guys,” she said, anxiety creeping back in. “Would you mind if two of my friends came and stayed for a couple nights?”

“Of course not,” Cyrus said with a smile. “I’m looking forward to meeting them.”

Her eyes turned to Garrett, who added, “I don’t mind either. When were you thinking?”

“Tomorrow and Saturday?” She asked tentatively. “I know it’s short notice, but they’re a little… pushy when they want something. They want to have a night in tomorrow, and then go dancing Saturday.”

“Sounds like fun, just let us know if we should make ourselves scarce,” Cyrus teased, and she felt her anxiety ease.

“Not a chance,” she answered. “Be prepared for an interrogation.” The men laughed at that, and agreed to be ready, before Garrett wandered off to order dinner, allowing her to settle back into Cyrus’ lap. The smile on her face seemed stuck as a content purr rumbled in her chest. This was nice, and despite her desire to maintain distance, she couldn’t help the hope that bloomed in her that this could end up working out.


	7. but there is a light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey at least this update only took a month, so progress I guess? Also, it broke five thousand words, which is exciting, and we got a liiiittle bit of spice there at the end. ALSO THREE GUESSES WHO THE ALPHA/ALPHA TAG IS REFERRING TO. On the topic of spice, I have a question I need to ask you dear readers. When I started writing this, it was not intended to be a slow burn as it became, and I had planned to raise the rating from M to E when the sexx started. However, at this point it doesn't seem fair to y'all to just do that out of nowhere when this has been pretty fluffy and feelsy so far. There will end up being sex, however my question is this: should I leave it at an M rating, and make the sex suitable for that, less detailed and smutty, or should I raise the rating and give y'all all the detailed, smutty sex your hearts may desire? Please let me know, I need to decide soon because I think the next chapter is gonna get Hot.
> 
> Also, if you're enjoying my writing, I just set up a ko-fi if you'd like to support me <3 There's a link in my bio.

She watched with no small amount of amusement as Miles darted around the kitchen, scrubbing the already immaculately clean room. When she’d brought up her friends visiting the night before after he’d gotten home from work, he’d been excited about the idea, but today seemed to bring with it panic. “Miles, you cleaned that counter already,” she pointed out as he fixated with a rag. “The kitchen looks amazing, and even if it didn’t, they wouldn’t care.”

“I just want things to look nice,” he responded, wringing the rag in his hands. “I want to make a good impression, they’re your friends.”

“Correct, they’re my friends. Which means they won’t care what my house looks like,” she said gently, glancing over at the sound of Cyrus entering the kitchen. “He’s still stress cleaning,” she answered his questioning look.

Miles made a distressed noise. “What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m weird, or I do something dumb and ruin my chances to make a good impression?” He asked, pacing back and forth. Amelia started to slide from her perch on the table, intent on comforting him, but froze as Cyrus approached him first.

“Miles, you’re adorable,” he said, his voice gentle, dropping a hand on the blonde’s head. “They’re going to love you, how could they not?” Miles’ eyes were wide as they met Cyrus’ and for a moment there was a breathless silence in the room, before both men turned bright red and separated quickly. Cyrus cleared his throat, stepping back and mumbling something about answering some emails as Miles seemed to short circuit before squeaking the word laundry. Both men escaped through separate doors, leaving Amelia confused but grinning.

Before she could ponder whether or not Cyrus was attracted to men, and if the two alphas were attracted to each other, she felt her phone go off in her pocket, checking the caller ID and seeing Tracy’s name. Ten minutes later she found herself tracking down the guys, armed with knowledge and no small amount of panic.

She waited for them all to gather in the living room before saying, “So I got a call from Tracy. About my heat.” Three sets of eyes fixated on her, and she forced herself to take a steadying breath. “I told her yesterday about not having one for five years, and she said she’d look into my options and let me know what she could find, so that’s what she wanted to let me know today. Basically, I’ve got two options at this point.”

The thought of both options made her panic, and after a moment of silence she felt a pair of hands grasp hers, glancing up to see Miles leaning out of his chair towards her. His soothing scent surrounded her, settling her nerves, and she offered him a grateful smile. “My first option is to spend my heat at the hospital,” she finally said once she’d gathered her courage. “They’ll be able to monitor and deal with my symptoms, make sure I stay stable. It’ll suck, and I’ll basically be dealing with the full force of a put off heat, but I’ll be okay.”

She didn’t like the idea of spending a week in a hospital bed, uncomfortable, in pain, lost in the haze of heat with no relief. To be honest, she wasn’t fond of hospitals in general, and she didn’t like the idea of so many strangers being around her during such a vulnerable time.

“What’s the second option?” Garrett asked from the couch, and her face immediately turned red. As much as she hated the thought of a hospital stay, the second option was almost worse.

“Um, so, Tracy is able to get her hands on a mild suppressant,” Amelia answered, unable to look at any of the men, the heat in her cheeks growing. “It’s not enough to fully stop a heat at the stage I’ll be at, but it can dial it down enough that I can safely spend it at home, as long as-” She paused and swallowed. “As long as I have an alpha to get me through it.”

The silence was so thick she could have cut it with a knife. “Do you… have an option you’re favoring?” Cyrus eventually asked, and she shook her head. “Okay. You don’t have to decide right now, we’ve still got some time.”

“I know,” she mumbled, glancing at him briefly. “I just- I don’t like not having a plan. And it would be nice to have as long as possible to ready myself for whatever the plan is.”

“How about a pros and cons list?” Garrett spoke up, and after a moment of thought, she nodded. “Option one?”

She took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and froze as panic assailed her again. Distantly she registered a pair of hands tugging, and found herself being pulled into Miles’ lap, his scent and arms wrapping around her until she could breathe again. “Okay,” she managed after she’d calmed a little, settling into Miles after only a moment of hesitation. He was meant to be her comfort, and there was nothing wrong with taking advantage of that. “Option one, pros. It’ll be completely safe. If there are any medical problems, they can handle it immediately. And I don’t take the risk of embarrassing myself in front of anybody I know.” She wracked her mind for any other pros but couldn’t find any.

Leaning her head on Miles’ shoulder, she sighed and said, “Cons. I’ll be constantly dealing with strangers. Hospitals aren’t exactly comfortable, and I won’t be able to nest the way I’ll want. I probably won’t ever _feel_ safe, which will make everything worse. And I won’t get any real relief from the… needs.” It felt as if her face were permanently red at this point. Heats were embarrassing enough alone, let alone trying to discuss them with a couple of alphas she was still getting used to.

“Alright,” Garrett said, giving her a reassuring smile when she peeked at him. “And option two?”

She squirmed for a moment, almost unwilling to discuss the option, before finally giving in. “Okay, pros. I get to be home, in my own space where I’ll feel safe. I’ll be able to nest. And no strangers. And the occasional break between waves, whereas the hospital will probably be nonstop.” That felt like a fair list of pros, and she hadn’t even embarrassed herself too much.

“And cons?” Garrett prodded gently.

“Do I have to?” She asked, unable to help the low whine that slipped into her tone, making Cyrus chuckle.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to sweetheart,” he answered, reaching over from the other chair to take one of her hands. “We’re following your lead here.” Miles’ arms tightened slightly as if agreeing.

She hid her face in his chest, forcing herself to continue. “The cons are I’ve never been with an alpha before,” she admitted. “Or spent a heat with somebody. I wouldn’t know what to expect, and I don’t have a lot of experience with sex in general, so it’s all really overwhelming. And I wouldn’t know how to pick someone.” The last was half mumbled as her face pressed in harder to hide the redness that had started traveling down her throat.

“Amelia, if you decide to go for the second option, none of us are going to be upset about who you choose,” Garrett reassured, and she glanced over at him. “I’m pretty sure we’d all prefer it be one of us three, but we’re not going to put pressure on you, and we aren’t going to be mad if we aren’t chosen.” That helped, to a degree, knowing nobody would feel hurt if they weren’t picked, but that was only half the problem. She honestly wasn’t sure who would be the best choice.

An image flashed briefly through her mind of all three of them helping, turning her flush a deep scarlet, and the image was firmly pushed from existence. She’d never even been with one alpha, what made her think she could handle three at once? Despite it’s ridiculousness, the idea refused to leave her mind.

She forced herself to take a deep breath and sit up, taking a moment to think over the pros and cons of both options logically. Finally she said, “I really don’t like the idea of spending my heat at the hospital. Heats are already incredibly vulnerable, and when I add in my anxiety, being surrounded by a bunch of strangers in a place like a hospital sounds like literal hell.” The more she spoke, the more confident she felt about this decision. “I think the best choice is to spend my heat here, with the suppressants and one of you.”

Her eyes darted between each of the men as she added, “I just need some time to decide who.” Unbidden the thought of all three popped into her head again, and she waved it away. Besides, who’s to say they would even be interested in sharing her like that?

Cyrus squeezed the hand he still held, saying, “And we’re more than happy to give you that time sweetheart. Regardless of who you pick, I think it might be a good idea for all of us to take that week off in case anything goes wrong.” The other men agreed, and she felt a warmth settle in her stomach, flowing through her body until she felt like she was glowing. This would be okay. She had people to take care of her, and while it may be new, she got the feeling she could get used to it.

A decision made for now, Cyrus and Garrett wandered off to prepare for the evening and she took another moment to enjoy Miles, comforted by his scent. He ran his fingers through her hair, bending to murmur in her ear, “I’m so proud of you omega.” A rush of pleasure shot through her and she preened under his praise before she could stop herself. “I know that was a hard conversation, but you handled it so well.”

After a moment of hiding her smile in his chest she leaned back and peered up at him, happily accepting the gentle kiss he dropped on her lips. “I hope that was okay,” he said, uncertainty flashing across his features. “I know you asked me to use your designation occasionally.” Another thrill of pleasure, and she leaned forward to kiss him again, enjoying the way he melted against her.

“It was perfect, thank you,” she answered with a shy smile, giggling when he nuzzled her cheek. A few more shy kisses were exchanged, before he excused himself to go work on more laundry, leaving her sprawled across the chair feeling more hopeful than she had in a while.

The next couple hours passed slowly as she waited for the text that her friends were on her way, impatient for the night to begin, to see them again, to introduce everyone. The worry that they wouldn’t get along still hung over her head, but it didn’t bother her quite as much as before. Around five she finally got the text that they were about forty five minutes out, and Miles started on dinner. He’d offered upon finding out they were staying the night, wanting to try and win them over with his cooking.

A shattering sound in the kitchen had her racing down the stairs, skidding through the door to see Miles surrounded by shattered glass and soy sauce looking panicked. “My hand was wet when I grabbed the bottle and it just kind of slipped,” he explained, hands shaking slightly.

“It’s all good,” she said soothingly as she heard someone enter the kitchen behind her. “Why don’t you go change, your pants are covered in it now.” He nodded, stepping carefully over the glass.

“I’ll grab some gloves and start cleaning up the glass,” Cyrus said, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice as he looked over the scene, and Amelia resisted the urge to laugh, not wanting to upset Miles further. “Garrett, can you run to the store for some more soy sauce?” He hesitated, before adding in a slightly teasing voice, “Maybe in a plastic bottle?” Miles ducked his head, though she caught the flush that appeared on his face, before hurrying from the kitchen.

Amelia smacked Cyrus’ shoulder, trying to look stern. “It’s not nice to tease him like that,” she scolded. “Can’t you see he’s upset?”

“You’ll just have to punish me later,” he said, kissing her suddenly warm cheek. “For now, maybe grab a mop?” The mess was cleaned up quickly, and Miles reappeared in a clean pair of pants to finish helping. She glanced over as she dumped the rest of the glass in the trash can to see Cyrus leaning over Miles, murmuring something in his ear. Whatever it was made him blush but smile, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he’d said to him, and again wonder if they were attracted to each other.

There wasn’t much time to ponder it as the doorbell suddenly rang, forcing a grin to her face. She rushed for the front door, throwing it open and greeting the excited shouts of her best friends as they smothered her with aggressive hugs. It felt like home, wrapped in their arms, and she hadn’t realized just how much she missed them until tears started to pool in her eyes. Judging by the sniffling against her hair, she was relieved to note she apparently wasn’t the only one overcome by emotion.

“I am so ready to get this sleepover started,” Cece said as she stepped back, finally releasing her. “We brought snacks and liquor like usual. You said one of the guys is cooking dinner?”

Amelia nodded, still firmly in Lorie’s hold. “Yeah, he offered. Do you want to bring your stuff up to my room first, or do you want a tour first?”

“Room first,” Cece responded, a serious look in her eyes that almost made Amelia a little nervous. Lorie grumbled softly but disentangled herself, picking up her dropped bag so the smaller girl could lead the way quickly through the house, up both sets of stairs to her room. She barely had time to close her door before Cece was turning on her, arms crossed over her chest. “Alright, now, time to spill. What happened?”

It shouldn’t have surprised her that her friends would immediately demand to know what _stuff_ she’d been talking about on their phone call, but it still made her flinch slightly. Dropping down onto her bed, unable to look at them, she slowly started to recount everything that had happened over the last couple of days. Losing access to her suppressants, admitting to having been on them for five years, her fight with the guys, up through the phone call with Tracy earlier that day with her options.

They were both quiet as she spoke, waiting until she was done before joining her on the bed. A pair of arms wrapped around her, and she found herself drawn into Cece’s lap. “That super sucks,” she said as Lorie scooted against them to join in the cuddle. “Do you know what you’re gonna do?”

“I’m gonna spend it here, with one of the guys,” she responded despite the flush in her cheeks, hiding her face in Cece’s shoulder. “It just seems like a better option than the hospital.” Both girls nodded, well aware of the omega’s aversion to hospitals.

After a moment, Cece stiffened. “Okay, but like, I’m gonna be mad at you for a moment too. Five years? Why didn’t you tell us?” Amelia opened her mouth to respond, but froze as she continued with, “I totally would have helped you through a heat.”

Before she could respond to that frankly ridiculous idea, Lorie was whining, “What, no, what if I wanted to help?”

“You don’t have the right parts,” she responded, matter of factly.

Lorie was only quiet for a moment before rebutting, “Okay, but my dicks never get soft.”

“But they can’t cum,” Cece answered, as if this were the most ordinary conversation in the world. “So I’d be more helpful.”

A groan escaped and it felt like her whole face was on fire. “Neither of you have the part an omega in heat needs,” Amelia interrupted. “You know, the knot?”

Both girls were quiet for a moment, before protesting that they could have bought fake knots, eventually all three descending into giggles. It took them a couple minutes to calm down, snuggling together happily, before Cece sobered up to ask, “For real though, are you okay? This is a lot, and I know you’ve never been with an alpha before, and you haven’t known these guys very long.”

Amelia nodded, pulling away just enough that she could look up at her friends. “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s not quite as terrifying as I thought it would be.” Mostly because of all the work the guys had put into making her feel comfortable with them. “I’m just not sure who to choose to help me honestly.”

“Well then we need to meet them,” Lorie responded decisively, hopping off the bed. “So we can offer our opinions and help you pick.” The anxiety she’d been fighting all day came tumbling back full force now that it was finally happening.

“Um, I know Miles is in the kitchen if you want to meet him first?” She said hesitantly as she forced herself up as well. “We can drop the snacks and alcohol in there too.” It would probably be best for his nerves as well if he could meet them sooner rather than later.

“Puppy boy,” Cece said, remembering her first description of the sweet alpha. “I’m down, let’s do this.” The discarded bags of snacks were retrieved from the floor, and Amelia led the way downstairs, trying to make sure none of her anxiety was leaking into her scent. She knew it wouldn’t bother her friends, as they couldn’t smell her anyways, but she didn’t want it putting Miles more on edge.

He was still in the kitchen when they got down there, wiping down a counter and nearly finished with dinner. “Hey Miles,” she said as he turned, trying and failing to mask how clearly nervous he was. “These are my friends, Cece and Lorie.”

“It’s so great to finally meet you,” he said, holding his hand out to them. “Amelia talks about you two a lot.”

Cece was the first to step forward and take his hand, eyeing him critically for a moment before smiling. “We’ve heard a lot about you too. Aquarium was a great first date choice, major props.” His shoulders visibly relaxed, and the smile he returned was more confident.

That confidence wavered as their hands dropped and he turned towards Lorie, who had a more disapproving glint in her eye. Finally she tilted her head to the side and sniffed, before skeptically asking, “Are you making Chinese food?”

He wrung his hands together nervously, answering, “Ah, yeah, Amelia said you usually order it at your sleepovers, so I wanted to do something nice.”

Her face scrunched up for a moment before she finally broke. “Crap, okay, I approve. Your cuteness is just too disarming.” The pleased grin that formed on his face was accompanied by a soft blush, and she let out a relieved breath as the tension in the room finally eased. That had gone better than expected. One down, two to go.

They chatted idly for a bit as he finished up and started plating the food, asking him about his work and talking about their majors. It wasn’t until Cece brought up his family that she felt panic strike her again, eyes immediately finding him. He’d stiffened, a note of grief souring his usually sweet scent, before he quietly responded, “We’re… estranged.”

Lorie snorted from where she’d perched on one of the counters. “Man, I feel you so hard on that.” Miles glanced up, curious despite the pain she could see in him. “My parents disowned me right before I left for college because I came out to them as a lesbian. We haven’t spoke in three years, and good fucking riddance.”

“I’m thinking about cutting mine out myself,” Cece added, rolling her eyes. “They haven’t disowned me or anything, but they _constantly_ deadname and misgender me. After a certain point you just gotta think, do I really want this energy in my life?”

“That’s sort of where I was at,” Miles admitted, and she inched closer to thread her fingers through his, not noticing or caring about the way her friends zoned in on it for a moment. “My family was… toxic. We suffered a loss and I just- I couldn’t face them anymore.”

“Hey look at us bonding over trauma,” Cece said cheerfully, before getting distracted by a sound by the door. They glanced over to see Cyrus leaning on the door frame. “Oh look, there’s another one. You cartoon guy or ferris wheel guy?”

Amelia blushed at her descriptions, but he just grinned. “Based on those, I’d say I’m probably cartoon guy. I don’t remember the last time I was on a ferris wheel,” he said. Introductions were made quickly, before either of her friends could embarrass her more. Much to her relief, they seemed to be on their best behavior now. Well, Cece was. Lorie was quiet, her eyes darting back and forth between the two alphas curiously.

Finally she broke her silence, saying, “You know, you two have like hella queer energy. I can’t put my finger on it, I just get this feeling about you.” Amelia choked, knowing it had been too much to expect her friends to behave.

Cyrus just chuckled in response. “I mean, we’re both bi, so you’re probably on to something there,” he said, and suddenly all eyes were on him. She had to smother a grin, happy that her guess had been correct. Her eyes darted to Miles, wondering how he’d taken it, but he’d spun back around to the stove, back tense. As if he could sense her looking, his face turned towards her slightly, and she caught the slightest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

Luckily he was saved from any embarrassment by the arrival of Garrett, bearing a bottle of soy sauce. At the first sight of him, Lorie whistled. “What are they _feeding_ you?” She asked, eyes wide as she took in his size.

Cece seemed similarly shocked, but only for a moment. Her eyes turned calculating, observing him critically before saying, “I bet mine’s still bigger.”

For his part, Garrett appeared confused, blinking down at the beta. “Your what?” He asked with genuine confusion.

“My di-”

“Hey Miles, is dinner ready?” Amelia interrupted quickly, cheeks bright red and panic soaking her scent as she wondered for not the first time why she couldn’t have ended up with slightly more normal friends.

\---

Dinner was a relatively normal affair, everybody apparently on good behavior and getting along. Afterwards Cece put together her infamous jungle juice while Lorie retrieved cards against humanity from one of her bags. It was nice, just drinking and playing with the five of them, everybody laughing and having fun. It made her feel warm, like she was home, like this _place_ could become a real home.

After a while she retreated up to her room with the girls with the rest of the alcohol for their customary Supernatural drinking game. Cece remarked that Garrett was probably even bigger than Sam, making them all laugh.

“Amelia, do not pick that man to have sex with first,” Lorie said seriously. “I think he’d probably break you.”

She got shoved over by Cece, who interrupted with, “Wrong, please sleep with that man as soon as possible. I need to know if his dick is proportional to the rest of him.”

“I make no promises,” Amelia said, laughing, feeling less awkward about the conversation after the amount of alcohol she’d drank over the past couple of hours.

“I would drink that man like a tall glass of water,” the redhead responded almost dreamily, making everybody giggle.

“Speaking of water,” Amelia said, forcing herself up off the bed. “I should probably go and get some. The last thing I need is a hangover tomorrow.”

The alcohol buzzing through her veins gave everything a warm glow, and she giggled a little as she stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen in search of some water. Instead she found the man they’d just been talking about, snacking on an oreo and scrolling his phone. She paused to look over him, admiring his sheer size and for once not feeling intimidated by it. He was actually really handsome, once she got past how scary he was.

He glanced up, arching an eyebrow at the sight of her staring at him. “Can I help you with something?” He asked, and his deep voice made her stomach flip. Or that could have been the alcohol.

It was certainly the alcohol that made her grin and shuffle forwards, mumbling a drawn out, “Maybe.” She shuffled closer, peering up at him through her lashes and watching as his hand tensed around his phone. His hands were huge, and she suddenly couldn’t wipe images of them on her body from her mind.

“You look like you’ve had a little bit to drink,” he said, setting his phone beside him on the counter as she inched even closer, almost within arms reach.

“Maybe a little,” she agreed, though in truth she’d had more than originally planned, the stress of the evening getting to her. That stress was far from her mind though. Now her only thoughts were of Garrett, and the memory of him pinning her to his jeep on their first date. How passionate that kiss had been, how much she’d craved his hands on her even then.

His eyes darkened and his scent spiked, reacting to the wafts of arousal he caught in her own. “The little omega drunk and looking for trouble tonight?” He purred, an edge to his voice that pulled a whimper unbidden from her throat. The sound made his jaw clench and his body still.

It took a moment for her to be able to respond, finally saying, “And what if I am?” Her voice was light and breathy, and she almost didn’t recognize it. He pushed off the counter, a single step putting him toe to toe with her. Their bodies just a breath apart, she was forced to crane her head back to look up at him, eyes widening with lust as his scent surrounded her.

“Then I would say,” he started, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “that you came to the right place.” His hand sunk deep into her hair, using it to drag her up and against him. Her cry was swallowed by his mouth as his other arm wrapped around her waist. For a moment she was weightless, spun through the air until she was pressed up against the wall. Her legs locked around his waist, hands clinging to his shoulders as if he were her only lifeline.

She whimpered into his bruising kiss, shuddering against his body as his lips trailed sloppy kisses across her jaw and down her throat. The first touch of his tongue on her scent gland made her jerk, sheer pleasure radiating through her veins.

“Fuck you taste good omega,” he muttered agasint her throat before groaning as her lips found his own scent gland.

“Alpha please,” she whispered, uncertain of what she was begging for, sinking into omega space faster than she ever had in her life. “Please, I need-” Her plea was cut off with another harsh kiss, his large hand framing her face and holding her still.

“I know what you need,” he growled, pressing his forehead against hers and forcing himself to breathe slowly. “You need to get some water and go to bed.”

The omega in her keened in pain at the rejection. “Alpha doesn’t want me?” She whined, feeling tears pool in her eyes. “But-” Once more her words were cut off, this time by a slow grind between her spread legs, leaving little doubt about his arousal.

“You feel that omega?” He growled, and she nodded quickly. “I want you so much it fucking hurts. But I want you sober and in your right mind. Understand?” She whined in response, squirming against him, and his hand dropped to her throat, not squeezing but holding firm enough that she froze. “Do you understand?”

She nodded, swallowing hard, and he slowly let her down, waiting until he was certain she could stand before releasing her completely. As he stepped back she felt her head start to clear, and her face flushed in embarrassment.

“Sorry, I-I don’t know what came over me. I shouldn’t have d-done that,” she stuttered slightly, unable to look at him, especially as he chuckled darkly.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he said, turning to search through the fridge for a bottle of water. “I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it.” The water was offered to her, but as she reached for it his free hand closed around her wrist. “But the first time it happens sober, it isn’t going to end with some water and a chaste kiss goodnight. I crave you in a way that’s impossible to put into words. Understand?” She swallowed hard and nodded, freezing in place when he leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead. “Goodnight Amelia.”

The moment he left the kitchen, all strength fled from her legs and she sank to the floor, pressing the cold bottle to her overheated cheeks. If that was an alpha with his passion roused, she wasn’t sure how she thought she was going to survive her heat with one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anybody actually cares, but I had some cards against humanity headcanons I wanted to share.  
> Cece and Miles both make it their goal to play the most fucked up card combinations possible. Lorie likes cute combos. Garrett likes combinations that make the most logical sense. And Cyrus and Amelia both like the smart/funny card combos.
> 
> Also, I've been working on several fanfics and I'm debating which one I want to focus on and post. It's between an avengers fic with a mutant oc, or a star wars modern au that's kylo/reader/hux. Both abo of course, because I'm an abo ho. Preferences or interest?


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